Where did you live before Alaska? Why Alaska? (Anchorage, Valdez: living, moving)

[freezengirl]

I am in the Alaska chose me camp, or maybe the somethings just are meant to be camp. I grew up in northern Minnesota but spent my teen years in southern California. I moved back to Mn as soon as I was old enough. The only other place I ever considered living in was Alaska. I am a northerner through and through. There is a phrase that runs through my mind when I try to think of the why in my choices. It is something like this" Give me the wild spaces and empty places..." I don't know that I have ever known the rest of it. I do know that there is something in me that demands those wild places. I cannot function if I cannot clearly see the wide open night skies or hear the crunch of snow underfoot. The smell of damp wool or woodsmoke in the cold air and being tied so tightly to the changes of the seasons and adapting to them is just part of who I am. I know the ravages of time and aging changes everything, not just our bodies, but for now I am willing to pay the price to live where I want and the way I want for as long as I can. I used to dream of Alaska, the Yukon and the Northwest Terratories as a young girl, I knew I would someday go there. I just didn't know how or when. Life is funny that way, long after I had forgotten my dreams they just happened.

[Metlakatla]

There's been traffic between my family in Oregon and Alaska for much longer than I've been alive. Alaska was always part of my life growing up though I didn't actually live there until my teens.

[cjg5]

I have lived my entire life in Washington. The ONLY other state that I would consider living is Alaska, and to be quite honest, I do want to leave Western Washington, so that narrows it down even more to being between either Eastern Washington, which I do love dearly (not saying I don't love Western WA, just sick of the weather here after 25 years of it!), or Alaska. And Alaska is a place that I have been wanting to live since I was a kid.

Just something about the idea of all that unspoiled nature, the absolute calm and beauty that is snow guaranteed to fall each and every winter and actually stick around for more than just a day or two at a time, the extremes in daylight hours, the great hiking and camping to be had, viewing the auroras at night, drier air instead of this humid crap (in my experience 40 degrees with humidity can chill you to the bone, though a dry 20 degrees can feel quite comfortable. It's the same with heat. A humid 70 sucks but a dry 90 is excellent)... all this and more attract me to the idea of a life in Alaska.

[RedJacket]

Originally Posted by cjg5

I have lived my entire life in Washington.

Which means you're dead and typing from inside your casket while remaining dead as a doornail.

Criss Angel has nothing over you.

[Grannysroost]

Originally Posted by cjg5

I have lived my entire life in Washington. The ONLY other state that I would consider living is Alaska, and to be quite honest, I do want to leave Western Washington, so that narrows it down even more to being between either Eastern Washington, which I do love dearly (not saying I don't love Western WA, just sick of the weather here after 25 years of it!), or Alaska. And Alaska is a place that I have been wanting to live since I was a kid.

Just something about the idea of all that unspoiled nature, the absolute calm and beauty that is snow guaranteed to fall each and every winter and actually stick around for more than just a day or two at a time, the extremes in daylight hours, the great hiking and camping to be had, viewing the auroras at night, drier air instead of this humid crap (in my experience 40 degrees with humidity can chill you to the bone, though a dry 20 degrees can feel quite comfortable. It's the same with heat. A humid 70 sucks but a dry 90 is excellent)... all this and more attract me to the idea of a life in Alaska.

I wonder where you plan on living in Alaska to get the above opposites of WA? Good luck on your dream!

[AlaskanGuy]

Its simple alaska is just the best place on earth to live i like it much better then florida

[cjg5]

Originally Posted by Grannysroost

I wonder where you plan on living in Alaska to get the above opposites of WA? Good luck on your dream!

Couldn't quite tell if that was sarcasm or not. Either way, I have decided that I don't want to be in the panhandle, I don't want Anchorage proper (though possibly an outlying area), and I don't particularly want to go anywhere on the western coast. Topping my list currently are Kenai Peninsula, Mat-Su Valley, or the interior around Fairbanks / North Pole. Not necessarily in that order.

[acg515]

I didn't live anywhere before Alaska since I was born there. I am currently away to go to a school outside mostly to experience what life is like in the lower 48. I would say that probably the biggest reason I like Alaska is that a big part of it still is pretty untouched by man, whereas down in the lower 48 it seems like no matter where you go you're always going to run into people. The scenery is a plus as well. I'm in North Dakota and even though it can be pretty, it really does not compare to Alaska. Plus people in Alaska are generally really nice, but you have nice people everywhere, and I've known a lot of jerks in Alaska too so it's kinda like other places in that regard too.

Sorry if this wasn't quite a post from someone who moved to Alaska, but I thought that this was kinda relevant, but in a different way I suppose.

[gobrien]

I was born and raised in Alaska, but moved out of state and was away for 20 years, and most of that time I wanted to be back in Alaska.. finally was able to come back so Alaska may have chosen me, but I have also chosen Alaska. It haunted my dreams while I was away.

[tigerfan3]

I'm originally from Detroit.

After that statement, is there any question about why I moved here??

I'll never leave this state.

Ever.