would love to hear from those who had planned to move to alaska! (house, school)

[lisaagogo]

I would love to hear from those who have posted questions about moving to alaska and still made the move. My husband and I are planning that move in about 3 years or so. What were the biggest pitfalls and what things should we avoid? Do you guys love it so far?!

[warptman]

Living in Alaska....


Jan. 10 5:00 P.M. It's starting to snow. The first one we've seen in years. The wife and I took our hot buttered rum and sat by the picture window, watching the soft flakes drift down, clinging to the trees and covering the ground. It was beautiful!

Jan. 11 We awoke to a lovely blanket of crystal white snow covering the landscape. What a fantastic sight. Every tree and shrub covered with a beautiful white mantle. I shoveled snow for the first time ever and loved it. I did both our driveway and our sidewalk. Later a city snowplow came along and accidentally covered up our driveway with compacted snow from the street. The driver smiled and waved. I waved back and shoveled it again.

Jan. 12 It snowed an additional 5 inches last night, and the temperature has dropped to around 11degrees. Several limbs on the trees and shrubs snapped due to the weight of the snow. I shoveled our driveway again. Shortly afterwards, the snowplow came by and did his trick again. Much of the snow is now brownish-gray.

Jan. 13 Warmed up enough during the day to create some slush which soon became ice when the temperature dropped again. Bought snow tires for both cars. Fell on my butt in the driveway. $145 to a chiropractor, but nothing was broken. More snow and ice expected.

Jan. 14 Still cold. Sold the wife's car and bought a 4x4 in order to get her to work. Slid into a guardrail anyway and did a considerable amount of damage to the right rear quarter-panel. Had another 8 inches of the white stuff last night. Both vehicles covered in salt and crud. More shoveling in store for me today. That darn snowplow came by twice today.

Jan. 15 -2 degrees outside. More blasted snow. Not a tree or shrub on our property that hasn't been damaged. Power was off most of the night. Tried to keep from freezing to death with candles and a kerosene heater, which tipped over and nearly burned the house down. I managed to put the flames out, but suffered second degree burns on my hands and lost all my eyelashes and eyebrows. Car slid on ice on way to emergency room and was totaled.

Jan.16 Darn blasted white snow keeps on coming down. Have to put on all the clothes we own just to get to the mailbox. If I ever catch the jerk that drives the snowplow, I'll chew open his chest and rip out his heart. I think he hides around the corner and waits for me to open our driveway again! Power still off. Toilet froze and part of the roof has started to cave in.

Jan.17 Six darn more inches of blasted snow and sleet and ice and God knows what other kind of white crap fell last night. I wounded the snowplow jerk with an ice ax, but he got away. Wife left me. Car won't start. I think I'm going snow blind. I can't move my toes. I haven't seen the sun in weeks. More snow predicted. Wind chill -62 degrees. I'm moving back to Albuquerque.

[Rita Snyder]

My daughter wants to move to AK. What can I do to make her not move there? Thanks.

[warptman]

Just let her go. I'm sure she's grown up and smart. She can find out on her own if she wants to live here. Alaska is fine. Have you ever been up here before? If you haven't, I hope you aren't filling her head with lies about the state.

[Rita Snyder]

No, I don't tell her lies. I just think one would really need to be born there to live in the elements.

[warptman]

Where exactly are you from? People can adapt to the climate change. I'm sure it gets cold there, too. They do make warm clothes nowadays. I'm sure she'll do fine.

[Rita Snyder]

I have not traveled there, but want to visit within the next five years. There's no doubt in my mind that Alaska is beautiful. Her husband is a carpenter, how many months out of the year could he work in this profession in AK?

[lisaagogo]

In a way I can relate with our weather. There's nothing like waking up in the morning about 6:30, stepping outside only to find that not only is it raining, but despite the rain (which by the way is steaming once it hits the concrete) it's also 95 degrees. Now I have to drive to work in a car without AC (stupid german volkswagen that only a DEALER will touch), have to keep the windows rolled up so I don't get wet and the car is steaming inside. Then there's the tourist. We who live in Florida have to get to work and get our kids to school and do normal everyday things. Now we have to navigate around those who can't drive (they're either too old to be driving OR way too young to be driving).
And just as mush as I swear the sun does odd things to people's brains here, I'm sure the cold does it to people in Alaska.

[Rita Snyder]

I live in FL. She and husband did live here, but moved to TN 8 yrs. ago.

[Rita Snyder]

So Did you move back to New Mexico?