Why are you moving to Alaska? (Fairbanks: transplants, employment, movies)

[rf80412]

I love rain, but I'm mainly worried about dealing with the lack of daylight further north. I've never been a sun worshiper, but the Sun is always up by 7am down here in SoCal. What do you all think about "long" cloudy days in the Southeast versus very short sunny days elsewhere? I love the colors when the Sun is low in the sky, and 12 hours of dawn/dusk with the Sun always under the horizon wouldn't bother me, but black skies and artificial light is a total drag. I've read about light boxes for fighting SAD, and as an architect I'd be driven to do fun things with artificial light, like at the Ice Hotel.

[Frostnip]

Originally Posted by tigre79

We got to drive through a heck of an ice storm in late November last year when it rained half an inch (in below-freezing temps) in Fairbanks.

Lordy, that was awful. That crud stuck to the roads the entire winter, too.

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by rf80412

I love rain, but I'm mainly worried about dealing with the lack of daylight further north. I've never been a sun worshiper, but the Sun is always up by 7am down here in SoCal. What do you all think about "long" cloudy days in the Southeast versus very short sunny days elsewhere? I love the colors when the Sun is low in the sky, and 12 hours of dawn/dusk with the Sun always under the horizon wouldn't bother me, but black skies and artificial light is a total drag. I've read about light boxes for fighting SAD, and as an architect I'd be driven to do fun things with artificial light, like at the Ice Hotel.

The gloom in SE gets to me; I'd rather have less daylight of better quality than what can be months of gloom here.

Never tried the artificial light boxes, never will, though I understand they work well for some people. I just leave in the winter and that's what works for me.

[ShipOfFools42]

Originally Posted by rf80412

I love rain, but I'm mainly worried about dealing with the lack of daylight further north. I've never been a sun worshiper, but the Sun is always up by 7am down here in SoCal. What do you all think about "long" cloudy days in the Southeast versus very short sunny days elsewhere? I love the colors when the Sun is low in the sky, and 12 hours of dawn/dusk with the Sun always under the horizon wouldn't bother me, but black skies and artificial light is a total drag. I've read about light boxes for fighting SAD, and as an architect I'd be driven to do fun things with artificial light, like at the Ice Hotel.

See, I've never understood SAD, but then again I haven't lived in the PNW. Still, I've lived in places where we've gone for easily a month straight without seeing the sun, below freezing temps, snow everywhere. I much much much prefer that to bright, sunny days, at least here. I imagine in Alaska the sunny days would be much more welcome since they aren't accompanied by crippling heat, though. Actually, sunny with snow on the ground is my favorite kind of weather probably, other than actively snowing.

[rf80412]

I don't know if I'm SAD prone, and that's part of my worry. It's just my assumption that I'd prefer quantity to quality, based on observing how hard it is for me to work when it's dark out.

Metlakatla: Is having the time and the money to leave during the winter common in Alaska, or is it something you really have to want and work for?

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by rf80412

I don't know if I'm SAD prone, and that's part of my worry. It's just my assumption that I'd prefer quantity to quality, based on observing how hard it is for me to work when it's dark out.

Metlakatla: Is having the time and the money to leave during the winter common in Alaska, or is it something you really have to want and work for?

I don't think it's common among the general populace...what seems to be more common is nice long vacations to somewhere warm around Jan/Feb. But then some people love the winters so much they wouldn't want to be anywhere else, and take whatever vacations they take during a different time of the year.

If it's something that someone really wants, then they need to be involved in a seasonal business...but I do have to say that it was never a major goal of mine things just evolved that way.

[rf80412]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

If it's something that someone really wants, then they need to be involved in a seasonal business.

I was under the impression that most business in Alaska is seasonal, and that people just need to work during the winter as well as the summer in order to pay the bills.

[Metlakatla]

A lot of seasonal employees go elsewhere to work in the winter; resorts and so on, and some of them are locals who work seasonally and then live off unemployment, winter work, savings, etc. Quite a few of them are college students. There are a lot of retired people who work seasonally here as well.

I really don't know what percentage of the work here is seasonal as opposed to year round, though I suppose that information could be found on one of the State pages.

By "involved in a seasonal business" I meant on more than just the level of a general employee.

[Frostnip]

The day and night sun actually gets to me more than the winter darkness does. It's kind of mania-inducing.

[rf80412]

Originally Posted by Frostnip

The day and night sun actually gets to me more than the winter darkness does. It's kind of mania-inducing.

I've heard about that too. A little mania would do me a lot of good though