Relocating from PA to AK this month (Ketchikan, Metlakatla: apartment, to rent)

[chipmunk226]

My brother is moving from Eastern PA to AK. His wife got a job there so they are looking to pack up and move ASAP. They are extremely excited but overwhelmed with all that this entails, so I am just trying to help out and be a supportive voice

The will be settling in Prince of Wales Island. They do not have kids, BUT, they do have 4 cats. They have no choice but to drive. They don't have the time nor resources to fly. And I think one of them would have a lot of difficulty flying due to health issues. Re-homing is NOT an option. My brother recently obtained his CDL but him getting employment is not a priority. They have some money saved but they really don't want to spend their savings hiring movers. They plan to rent a UHaul, attach a car trailer, and drive the whole way. With 4 cats.

Basically, what are some things that they need to know that they wouldn't necessarily think of? They are pretty stressed (not in a bad way, but still stressed) so they aren't necessarily at the top of their game. They are having to make so many decisions and do so many things at once. I just want to help them have a smooth and prepared transition as possible.

Any suggestions or advice is appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[AlaskaErik]

Originally Posted by chipmunk226

Any suggestions or advice is appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Lose the cats.

[Metlakatla]

Please explain how they're going to drive the whole way to POW. They'll have no choice but to take the ferry over there from Ketchikan -- so how are they planning to get to Ketchikan? You can't just drive there. They can take the ferry from Bellingham or drive up to Prince Rupert and catch the ferry to Ketchikan from there.

I'm sorry, but if they don't have the money to fly there, how are they going to afford these ferries? That's way more expensive.

Do they have a place to live?

It will be necessary for them to present a recent -- as in within 30 days -- health certificate for each of their cats before they can take them into Alaska.

[Music_Man]

Get pontoons for the car and trailer because you cant drive to there. You can drive on to a ferry and get there.
Well Met beat me to it!

[Metlakatla]

As far as living on POW, that's going to be a tough transition for someone from back east. Some people fall in love with it right away while others never quite click with the island. They're going to have to get used to very basic local shopping and extremely marginal entertainment and dining options.

About the cats -- the island has seen an influx of wolves in recent years, so they're going to need to take precautions to ensure their cats are safe. At the very least, they should avoid leaving their cats outdoors after dark. They should also feed and water their cats indoors -- leaving pet food out attracts bears.

[chipmunk226]

Originally Posted by AlaskaErik

Lose the cats.

I am an animal lover and even I said this. However, they made the decision that it's not an option. :shrug:

[chipmunk226]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

Please explain how they're going to drive the whole way to POW. They'll have no choice but to take the ferry over there from Ketchikan -- so how are they planning to get to Ketchikan? You can't just drive there. They can take the ferry from Bellingham or drive up to Prince Rupert and catch the ferry to Ketchikan from there.

I'm sorry, but if they don't have the money to fly there, how are they going to afford these ferries? That's way more expensive.

Do they have a place to live?

It will be necessary for them to present a recent -- as in within 30 days -- health certificate for each of their cats before they can take them into Alaska.

Yes, I neglected to mention they are aware that at some point they need a ferry. One question I forgot to as was can you even take a UHaul and a car trailer on a ferry?

They themselves do have the money to fly there. When I said time and resources, I was talking about the planning aspect. You can't just pick a flight and say hey, tack on 4 cats to my itinerary They would have to find specific flights and airlines (not to mention we are coming up on holiday season) They would need airline approved kennels. One has health issues which may affect its breathing so that's a no-go. And they would NOT put their cats in the cargo hold. I understand how some people will roll their eyes and say "are they crazy?" Yeah... a little

Bottom line - this is a huge transition and their babies are coming with them

Yes, they do have a place to live. His wife's employer secured an apartment for them.

[chipmunk226]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

As far as living on POW, that's going to be a tough transition for someone from back east. Some people fall in love with it right away while others never quite click with the island. They're going to have to get used to very basic local shopping and extremely marginal entertainment and dining options.

About the cats -- the island has seen an influx of wolves in recent years, so they're going to need to take precautions to ensure their cats are safe. At the very least, they should avoid leaving their cats outdoors after dark. They should also feed and water their cats indoors -- leaving pet food out attracts bears.

They live very basic as is. They are vegan (I already know the flood of comments coming next ) and moving to somewhere like this (they are coming from a major metropolis) is exactly what they want. I've lived with him; this is what he wants They know how to grow their own food, they actively participated in a co-op and don't have material wants.

The cats stay indoors. Instead of bears, where they live now, there are people who steal cats to bait Pit Bulls, so... I guess they are prepared?

[stiffnecked]

Wow! They need to leave the cats with you and lose the whole vegan thing. Hopefully they'll consider fish as a vegetable.

[Meemur]

I always like to see people employed, but I'd re-think taking this job. The whole 4 cats (one with a health problem)/vegan/distance aspect foreshadows some major difficulties.

That move isn't fair to the cats: rehome them. Drop being vegan. Sell/donate almost everything. Have untouchable cash savings so a return can be made to the lower 48 when (not if) it finally dawns on the couple that this was not a good move.

Honestly, we need to require the teaching of geography and map reading again in schools. This is not a trivial move, and I agree that coming from PA to AK will be some major culture shock.

Dang! I met a guy the other day who had moved out here (Des Moines) from Pgh and he was experiencing some culture shock: we don't have a Starbucks on every corner and the wind seems to blow without ceasing in the fall. I can't imagine what this couple is going to feel after their first month in AK.