For Those Thinking About Moving To Alaska (Anchorage, Valdez: job transfer, school)

[FloridaKash]

Hello all Alaskan Wannabe's,

My name is AlaskaKash, I was born and raised in Anchorage and left for Seattle when I was 20 years old. A job transfer took me to Austin. I remained out of state for 7 years and came back so my kids could get to know their grandfather before he passed. 3 years later I am ready to head back out and am headed to Florida.
Alaska is truly a wonderful place and there is nowhere in the world quite like it. It is unique and has a certain aura about it. You can find friends here that will stand by your side no matter what, but only if you are loyal. If you are a person who is not loyal to your friends, this place is not for you. Alaskans hate people whom are not honest with themselves or with others.
You will find many recreational activities to do during the summer and the winter. There is biking, hiking, fishing, camping, ATVing, mountain biking and several other activities to do in the summer. During the winter you can cross country ski, downhill ski/snowboard, snowmachine, snowshoe, play snowshoe baseball, winter camp and many other activities.
If you live in Anchorage you can drive less than an hour out of town and be in wilderness where if you stand and listen, you hear nothing. I took true silence for granted when I left, but when I came back I learned to appreciate being able to go somewhere, sit down and not hear a single man made thing. In the winter you will hear true silence. It is truly unique and something everyone should should experience.
If you live here long enough and make an effort to stay up late and be observant you will experience the Northern Lights. I don't care what anyone says, the Northern Lights are mystical and truly amazing. In the summer you will be astonished by the midnight sun. At first you may find it annoying that it never truly gets dark during the summer, but you will soon learn to love it and admire the energy around town even at 11pm at night since the sun is up. You will see kids playing until midnight or later. Please, do not judge the parents and think they are neglectful. They are simply allowing their children to play since school is out, the sun is up and they have been cooped up most of the winter. Us Alaskans do not take kindly to those from the lower 48 who are quick to judge. It is different here.
Alaska is beautiful and unique. But please remember, that with this great wilderness and being in the last frontier it can be challenging in ways you may never have imagined. The winters are long and dark. Your favorite store may not be here. The cost of living will shock you. Certain industries are very limited here which may impede your career path should you move. You need to be able to afford toys enable to truly appreciate this state and you must have friends that can afford the same type of toys for company. You will want to get out of state at least once a year and you will be surprised at the cost of airfare to get out of state. Your natural gas bill will be high as will the gasoline you put in your car.
If you decide Alaska is not for you and want to move out of state with all of your belongings it will cost you a whole lot of cash. I am headed to Florida and to move the cheapest way possible, using a U-Haul and and towing my car I am looking at $13,292. Next cheapest was using ABF UPack, shipping my car and flying at $15,347. Not a huge difference and a smart man may say I should ship my stuff and fly. Well, Mr. Smart Man, I am Alaskan and therefore I am always ready for and adventure. I like to think driving from one edge of the continent to another is a heck of an adventure and a unique life experience.
So, unless you are committed to living here and dealing with the struggles it will cost you dearly to change your mind. With that said, I believe everyone should live in Alaska at least once in their lives and I am very happy I got to come back and share this great state with my children. Many people say the could never live anywhere else and that's great, but as they say, 'Different Strokes For Different Folks.' With that said, I am looking forward to the sun, sand, beaches, lower cost of living and family vacations that will not cost me over $3K in airfare alone.

Thank You,
AlaskaKash

[UAFBoundYankee]

Thanks for the heads up, Kash. Have a wonderful road trip and I hope you enjoy Florida. =)

[Teak]

Well said, AlaskaKash. I too have fond memories of Alaska, but not of the loooooonnnnnggggg dark winter.

[flkingfan]

My sister moved to Alaska in 1993 after taking a cruise there with some of her school kids. She moved there from Florida, where I am. I've visited twice and find it the most amazing place that I've been too. It's beauty is breathtaking and unforgettable. I would move there in a heartbeat, but I would have to go a divorced woman, which is very tempting sometimes. I envy my sister for being the strong woman she is, moving there single and alone, and now married with a beautiful daughter.
What you wrote is awesome and very opening for outsiders, which doesn't happen in a lot of places.

With that being said, welcome to Florida!

[angelface101]

Thanks Kash, you have given me great insight to AK and helpful answers to past questions. I hope you enjoy Florida! Such an extreme opposite to where you live now. Enjoy!!

[tigre79]

Thanks for the good post, Kash. It looks like I'm moving to Valdez at the beginning of June, so if I get to Anchorage before you leave we should have lunch or something.

I hope you like Tampa. Though it's really not my kind of place, I've had a lot of fun here. Just this morning I was out on a crystal clear spring-fed river in my kayak, petting a manatee that swam up to me. But make sure you go hear the silence a few more times before you go. It's very hard to find that here.

[BudinAk]

Originally Posted by Teak

Well said, AlaskaKash. I too have fond memories of Alaska, but not of the loooooonnnnnggggg dark winter.

What do you mean long winter? Nine months ain't that bad....

Brings back a comment I heard once: the 4-seasons in Alaska:
June, July, August, and Winter.

Bud

[UAFBoundYankee]

rofl That's hilarious, Bud... Good thing I wasn't drinking anything, otherwise it would've ended up all over my monitor. =)

[BPerone201]

Thanks for the great aspiring post.
My family thinks I'm crazy, but I'm looking into the University of Alaska (in Juneau). I originally had my mind set on Albany University in NY (which I'm still debating) but theres something about Alaska that seems to really draw my attention. It's so unique, it's so beautiful, and I'm sure the people are some of the nicest people in the nation (and probably some of the toughest)
The only thing that's holding me back is that I'd be going there alone , FAR from my family/friends in NYC/Jersey.

If anything, I should go there during the summer time and venture Alaska. I need to take a rest from the Jersey shore every summer.

[UAFBoundYankee]

Nice, BPerone... I'm headed up there myself for school at UAF. Alot of my reasons are the same as yours. It's like I've heard the 'Call of the Wild' and I'm not able to refuse answering. I'm also from Jersey. lol