I think my husband is crazy.....

[sassymama66]

Where in the Chicago area do you live? My husband and I are in Lisle. We are moving up to Anchorage on April 23rd. I lived there in the 90's, and have been dying to get back since.

The weather isn't bad - I prefer Anchorage winters to the old-fashioned Chicago blizzard style winters. We have been so spoiled the last two winters here in the Chicago area. The darkness in Anchorage took a winter to get used to but the summer more than makes up for it.

Being away from family can be difficult if you don't make an effort to keep connected. Facebook, Skype, etc. are all great ways to stay in each others lives. My sister has ZERO interest in visiting me in Alaska so we will be meeting up in neutral places each year. Next year - Hawaii!!

Good luck with your decision - I have dreamed of moving back every day since 1999. When I had to leave after a visit it took my husband to push me back onto the plane!

[dcbrewmeister]

Originally Posted by Jkope12

My husband has this idea that moving to Alaska would be an adventure. We live 40 minutes from Chicago now. So the cold and snow isn't a problem. I'm just wondering if its ever a comfortable temp where your not freezing. He was looking at Anchorage. We are very outdoorsy people. It's just a scary thought being so far away from anyone I know. I keep hearing people are not friendly??? Truth or not. Is there fAmily type events or a ymca? We are a younger family with small children. My husband is a registered nurse so the jobs won't be a issue. Please help me understand this crazy idea or maybe it's not so crazy.......

And that's exactly what paralyses most people into staying exactly where they are and never seeing any other part of the country... or the world...

At some point, you just have to spread your wings and fly...

[akpls]

With today's internet technology you will never be so far away from anyone you know. My kids have used Skype, SMS, etc. all over the world to stay in touch with their friends and family....at little to no cost. They especially like to use it when they need more money!

[roadfamily6now]

how friendly are people in Chicago?
I find that there are some very very rude people here. But I come from places where people are incredibly friendly.

[Marty Van Diest]

People are friendlier in Alaska than most places I have visited.

[tigerfan3]

No, your husband is not crazy and don't let people scare you away. The temperature here varies like it does everywhere. The summers and autumns are great, and the winters are too. You sound like a city person so I would say if you come go to Anchorage. It's a great town with lots of things to do and the vast majority of the people are very friendly. I have met some great people in Anchorage. If you are into the outdoors, Anchorage and the rest of the state will feel like heaven to you.

[Rance]

It's 29 degrees here right now on the central peninsula. Another heat wave!

[WyoNewk]

I'll pipe in as a former resident of the great state of Alaska. My wife and I moved there when I was in the Air Force. (I'd put in for Hawaii, naturally.) We loved it. She had a good job at a bank and I had a good job at the (now defunct) Anchorage Daily Times after my discharge, so we planned to stay there forever. But she started having some misgivings after our son was born, that she wanted to be closer to his grandparents. So we moved back. For the next few years I'd see a picture of Alaska and tear up. I sure missed it!

I LOVED, LOVED the summers! Spring and fall were also nice, but (did I mention?) I LOVED the summers! The only problem with them was that I never got much sleep -- out enjoying the long days until nearly midnight. Oftentimes my buddies and I would just catch a couple hours of rest on a river bank while the sun dipped below the horizon, then get right back to fishing -- and drag ourselves back into the office at 8 a.m.

The winters were no colder than Chicago's (or Iowa's, where we'd lived), but the darkness was a real drag and made it feel colder.

I spent a couple days (while vacationing) looking for a job there several years ago after I lost my wife but didn't find anything. I seriously considered moving back but then met and married a gal who hates the cold. She puts up with Wyoming because I've lived here for 40+ years, but when I mention Alaska she just scowls at me.

[soldn2slavery]

You know how people in Chi-town drive all the way up to Door County for a weekend stay? How's that different from flying 6 hours from Anchorage to Chicago? Plus, Alaska is Door County x 100. Take a look at the picture thread on the Alaska forum, and keep in mind that pictures can't do justice to the real thing.

Even though the winters are long and dark, one of the mistakes people make when moving to Alaska is to hide inside until winter is over. If you're going to survive, you have to get out and find ways to enjoy the winter. You can ski or snowshoe to some amazing places in winter that are difficult or impossible to get to in summer.

You also need to realize that Anchorage, while fairly cosmopolitan for its size, is no Chicago. However, it does have its own charm and its own type of culture and funky, weird events.

I found people friendlier in Anchorage than here in N.E. Wisconsin. Not that people here are unfriendly, it's just that the folks in Anchorage were more welcoming to newcomers and more willing to invite you into their circle of friends. Probably because most everyone in Anchorage is from somewhere else and here in Wisconsin, you've got families who have lived in the same town for generations.

IMHO, if you can swing it, move and experience Alaska. If you hate it, move back. At least you can say you tried it.

[soldn2slavery]

Originally Posted by WyoNewk

Oftentimes my buddies and I would just catch a couple hours of rest on a river bank while the sun dipped below the horizon, then get right back to fishing -- and drag ourselves back into the office at 8 a.m.

Yeah. Leave work a little early on weekday to avoid the crowds on the Russian, fish until it got too dark to see, catch a nap in the car until it was bright again, fish some more, leave in time to take the fish home, shower and get back to work. Awesome!