Possible Winter Visit - Want Opinions (Barrow: law, title, car)

[Dakster]

Ship - Ignore the negativity. continue to focus on the positives... Everything you have said makes sense to me. Anywhere you have never been, you need to figure out how to be prepared.

I know you will make this happen...

[tigre79]

Originally Posted by ShipOfFools42

Still, I will say one thing: Tigre, you have been very encouraging to me for the most part, and you have showed me how cool Valdez is. I appreciate your help. Still, it's not like you're a life-long Alaskan yourself, and it's not like I have never seen snow before. In fact, I lived in New England for longer than you have lived in Alaska so far. Also, as has been said many times, it snows a good bit more in the snowy parts of the lower 48 than it does in much of AK (obviously not including VDZ). And if I got the job offer to plow snow in the Pass right now, I would go, sight unseen. I'm sure I would figure out in short order "what it's like there". Not like I'm going to on this trip, since everyone's telling me how I shouldn't drive the damn Pass.

Dude, settle down. I'm not trying to slam you or anything, just telling you to actually see the places you're talking about before you decide how much you love them. Because no matter where you've been or for how long, you haven't been anywhere up here. So take it a step at a time.

[stiffnecked]

I, too loved Barrow based on the video the Chief of Police showed me when I went for the interview in Seattle in 1984. He told me how wonderful it was. He filled me with champange wishes and caviar dreams.

By the end of week three I loathed the place something fierce. Where were all the smiling faces? the wildlife? the pretty trundra flowers and grasses? the cute single Eskimo women that he promised would latch right on to me?

Even then I stuck it out. It just had to get better. Quickly learned what Crown Russie was. And it wasn't Russian Royalty. And the phrase "Buy me Oly, and I'll be your friend" left me clueless cause I had no idea what Oly was or where to buy it. Friendless I remained.

It was only then that I realized I was trapped inside a Robert Service poem.

Well, he seemed so low that I couldn't say no; then he says with a sort of moan:
"It's the cursed cold, and it's got right hold till I'm chilled clean through to the bone.
Yet 'taint being dead — it's my awful dread of the icy grave that pains;
So I want you to swear that, foul or fair, you'll cremate my last remains."

[ShipOfFools42]

LOL. This is a huge thread about a visit prior to moving somewhere, and you guys are saying "Don't decide you love somewhere until you go." That's why I'm going: to find out how much I love the various places I visit. Or how much I hate them. This is about more than some pipe dream; I have had things happen in the past few years of my life that have made me realize there is no reason to wait around and just accept your surroundings if you don't like them. Because you aren't on this floating rock too long. Continue shooting down my goals; it's fuel for me.

And tigre, I understand where you're coming from, and there are no hard feelings here. I think this is one of those things where online communication is falling flat.

[warptman]

I like how threads become a story of one's past life in the arctic where it has nothing to do with anything the OP needs to know.

Which reminds me, this one time here in Bethel...

[stiffnecked]

It's women we "love", the land, we like it or we hate it. Quit using the L word like it's a cheap suit you bought at WalMart.

[Alaskapat528]

Well, Ship after 16 pages....are you coming ???

[RedJacket]

Originally Posted by Alaskapat528

Well, Ship after 16 pages....are you coming ???

I really really like your "status". +1

[Alaskapat528]

Originally Posted by RedJacket

I really really like your "status". +1

Thank you.

[ShipOfFools42]

After sixteen pages, I still don't know, or else you would have already heard. I'm getting some help out on paying for this trip from my parents, but if I don't get enough of the money myself, it's a no go. I'm trying to get it done ahead of time so I can secure all my reservations, but it's not always that easy. The simple answer is, I am coming up there no matter what, and even if it isn't this winter (which hopefully it will be), it will be soon. I am very serious about this, and I'm done feeling like I have to prove that to anybody, so I'll leave it at that. Those of you who have been kind enough to offer to meet up with me, I will not forget that, and hopefully, come December/January, I'll see you in Alaska! If not this year, it will be very soon.

Thanks to all of you who have given me helpful advice, I really appreciate it. And stiffy, that sounds like you had a miserable time in Barrow. Maybe that's why you soured on the country so friggin quick and never had anything to be happy about. And maybe that's why you feel the need to put others down. Quit polluting my thread.