Alaska-I need to ask some questions?

Question

HI SINCE I WAS A KID I HAVE WANTED TO GO TO ALASKA IS ANYBODY OUT THERE WHO COULD TELL ME SOMETHING ABOUT LIVING THERE BUT I WANT TO HEAR FROM SOMEONE WHO IS LEAVING THERE

Answer 1

Yes, the locals are friendly.

Yes, if you have few job skills, good paying jobs are hard to find. That is true everywhere. But if you DO have good skills and a good work ethic, word gets around and you'll be in demand. Even Anchorage is a "small town" in terms of people knowing each other. Everywhere else in the state is much more so. So seriously consider what impression you want to make and maintain among your new neighbors.

Good grief, no, kids don't fly across the river to school. Not 99.993% of them. That kind of situation exists in a very few isolated villages that have 2 or 3 families in them. If you're not a Native living where your great-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-grandparents settled, you'll take a yellow bus to school. Duh.

Sure, we get cold winters, but "it's a dry cold" to paraphrase those Arizonans. -20F sometimes in Anchorage, but an average winter day is 10 or 20F.

I'd differ on the guns. If you have a small dick, sure, get a big gun if it makes you feel better. But we only have one fatal bear attack every other year. 0.5 per year. Drunk driving, airplane crashes, drowning, domestic violence are dozens of deaths each year from each cause. So drive sober, don't fly small planes in marginal weather, wear your life jacket and don't live with a jerk. Good advice anywhere.

I've seen 5 grizzlies this summer. They all headed the other way. Like they almost always do, if you don't piss them off or surprise them.

A 7-pound .300 winchester magnum rifle (smallest calibre recommended by the State) or a .375? You WOULD get to fanatisize about blowing away some trophy-sized bear (but you legally have to preserve and surrender the hide and skull to the state for a DLP killing (defense of life / property). I'd rather have 5 pounds of simple gear: 8 power bars, Iodine to treat water, a warm hat, a map, light raingear and info on edible berries. I'd lose a few pounds, but would be fine for a week or more. Oh, and mosquito repellent!

The scernery is spectacular, some of the land cheap, and there is a liberitarian attitude up here in which 1) you're largely allowed to do your own thing and 2) people of different politics, religions, and cultures are pretty civil to each. Much more so than in the big cities "Outside".

Read John McPhee's "Coming into the Country" 30 years old, but still a great introduction to the people, attitudes and terrain in Alaska.

Prices are a bit more but our larger cities have Safeway, Wallmart, etc. The higher living expenses are mostly because we have a long, cold heating season (more gas or oil to heat the house), you need more warm clothes, you want all the play equipment (boat, fishing, skiis, 4-wheeler, snowmachine, etc), and you travel a long ways to visit family. But around town? Just a bit more expensive.

Answer 2

Mongoose did an excellent job touching on what to expect.

I also wanted to throw in that decent paying work can be hard to come by. If you want to move up there, try and find a like minded friend to split expenses with for awhile.

The state of Alaska website has a very good jobs area. You can find work on boats there as well as many other jobs.

I'd stress the importance of firearms as well for bears. They make pepper spray for bears too, but I'd recommend carrying a long gun of some sort. Pepper spray isn't going to help you kill food if you get lost.

Good Luck.

Answer 3

I can speak from someone who was out in the Bering Sea and went to Dutch Harbor and Kodiak Island, Steward and Anchorage Alaska.

I could spend an hour giving you the jist how life in the 'last frontier' but let me break it down into a top 5 for you:

1) Pack warm. The best months to go to Alaska with regard to weather could be June - October in my experience.

2) Expect friendly locals. The locals that I ran into were very warm and always willing to help out. You give what you get and you won't go wrong.

3) Pack a shotgun (when your older) whenever you go camping. The threat of bears is very, very real in Alaska and your going to want to have a firearm that can stop them if they want to get cozy.

4) Go camping. The wilderness and sheer beauty of Alaska is unreal. Everything is so clean! The water, the air, the forests, the beaches. Get out of your comfort zone and see and smell everything you can

5) Grab yourself a box of these things called 'Polar Bear Kisses'. It's kinda like a hershey bar with little peppermint candy chunks throughout - the best candy I came across in Alaska hands down.

Hope this helps, take it easy out there!

Answer 4

just know that most cities there are much more expensive to live on bec. they have to ship stuff in my boat or plane. There are only 5 highways all through Alaska. So most cities like Juneau can only be reached by boat or plane.

Answer 5

Ive lived there for a year and its a pain if you dont have a plane you arent really gonna be able to get around and if you have kids your kids might have to fly across a river just to go to school!!!