Thoughts on living in Alaska?

[Kaido]

Have an interesting job opportunity. Have never been, but had a roommate from Anchorage who loved it. Looked pretty nice from The Proposal. Cost of living seems high, but not as bad as say, Hawaii.

My two main requirements are access to high-speed Internet & Amazon Prime. Sounds like Prime is actually doable:

https://www.adn.com/business/articl...ural-alaskas-pricey-shipping-woes/2015/12/20/

Moving would be pretty easy, since we went digital a few years ago & don't own much "stuff". Bonus, I could finally get myself a Siberian Husky

 

[lxskllr]

I REALLY like the concept of Alaska, but I'd have to research some and make a personal visit before I moved everything up there. Open space, real winter, and northern lights. What's not to love? Well, I guess slow shipping, some mail offers not being available, and expensive groceries aren't that lovable, but open spaces!

 

[RockinZ28]

I'd certainly like to try it for a year if given the chance, but nothing permanent. Enjoy moving around and working/seeing different areas, especially when the employer pays all living expenses.

 

[IronWing]

I REALLY like the concept of Alaska, but I'd have to research some and make a personal visit before I moved everything up there. Open space, real winter, and northern lights. What's not to love? Well, I guess slow shipping, some mail offers not being available, and expensive groceries aren't that lovable, but open spaces!

Those open spaces are filled to the crannies with mosquitoes, black flies, and biting gnats. There's a reason grizzlies are so ornery.

 

[Kaido]

I REALLY like the concept of Alaska, but I'd have to research some and make a personal visit before I moved everything up there. Open space, real winter, and northern lights. What's not to love? Well, I guess slow shipping, some mail offers not being available, and expensive groceries aren't that lovable, but open spaces!

Those open spaces are filled to the crannies with mosquitoes, black flies, and biting gnats. There's a reason grizzlies are so ornery.

Yeah, that's the thing...I like the idea of Alaska, but I'm curious about what it's really like.

 

[who?]

The movie "Insomnia" is set in Alaska and shows the misery possible when the sun never sets.

 

[Newbian]

I suppose if you enjoy winter it would be nice otherwise it will be hell.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I always thought it would be neat, I'd want to live partially off grid, like those places where you're off grid but still have access to rail. The territories sound like it would be cool too and probably even more open. Like it would be awesome to just own a huge property that you can mostly keep as forest but know that there's no chance of development happening. I'd want full mineral rights and everything though. Build an awesome house and have one section that's windows all around just to look at stars and northern lights. Would be pretty epic.

Would need to find a way to generate electricity though, I'd still want to live semi high tech, but just more self sufficient. Solar would work in the summer months, then for rest of year, some form of steam maybe.

I'd want high speed internet too, though honestly I'd settle for satellite if it meant living in a cool place like that. I'd probably spend less time on the computer and more time vegging in front of the wood stove looking at nature outside.

 

[Kaido]

I suppose if you enjoy winter it would be nice

I actually hate the cold, but I got an Oros jacket (aerogel) last year & it makes being outdoors in winter a non-issue. Literally makes you feel like you're standing indoors, pretty amazing!

 

[Herr Kutz]

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Have an interesting job opportunity. Have never been, but had a roommate from Anchorage who loved it. Looked pretty nice from The Proposal. Cost of living seems high, but not as bad as say, Hawaii.

My two main requirements are access to high-speed Internet & Amazon Prime. Sounds like Prime is actually doable:

https://www.adn.com/business/articl...ural-alaskas-pricey-shipping-woes/2015/12/20/

Moving would be pretty easy, since we went digital a few years ago & don't own much "stuff". Bonus, I could finally get myself a Siberian Husky

I would watch both seasons of Fortitude first.

 

[Thebobo]

Spent a summer there backpacking and working at the salmon canneries, in Kenai and then years later went up just to fish for 3 weeks. All these Alaska shows and the greenhorns go up thinking they can survive up there. Summers are easy winters can suck.

Pros
Fishing is great
Wilderness tons of it.
The Monkey Bar
Weed is legal

Cons
Winter dark a lot. - cabin fever.
Lodging $$
Food $$
The Monkey Wharf closed. Bar that had a huge glass enclosure behind the bar that contained monkeys.

 

[KMFJD]

Headed to the Yukon and NWT in a couple of weeks time myself, nice long drive
I've got my van equipped with some house batteries now for dry camping and recharging drone/camera.laptop and a cooler. Hoping to be above the arctic circle on June 21st for the solstice and 24 hours of sun. I'd never want to live there in the winter though, and the bugs are going to be insane.

 

[Thebobo]

Headed to the Yukon and NWT in a couple of weeks time myself, nice long drive
I've got my van equipped with some house batteries now for dry camping and recharging drone/camera.laptop and a cooler. Hoping to be above the arctic circle on June 21st for the solstice and 24 hours of sun. I'd never want to live there in the winter though, and the bugs are going to be insane.

Awesome - diving up the Alcan.

 

[Mayne]

I would love to get out of this concrete jungle. I would go for it.

 

[KMFJD]

Awesome - diving up the Alcan.

I'm going to try and avoid it in BC actually, i'll be going up through #37 instead.

 

[Kyle]

I've been there a number of times in the summer and it is absolutely amazing. Unfortunately the summer is a short season up there. A friend of mine was raised there and he (like most others raised there according to him...) moved down to the continental US for a decade or so but eventually made his way back to AK.

I've always been tempted, and if I had a decent job offer up there I'd go for it for sure.

 

[Kyle]

Pros

The Monkey Bar
.

Darwin's theory? Love that place but have had a few too many "what the hell happened last night" experiences there.

 

[bfun_x1]

Awesome - diving up the Alcan.

I did it back in the 80s when it was still dirt. We had a plexiglass shield on the front of the jeep to keep the rocks from hitting the windshield. Then one day we left it off and sure enough, cracked the windshield. I hear it's a lot better these days.

 

[futurefields]

Hope you dont care about getting laid

 

[Red Squirrel]

Even less extreme than far north like Alaska or territories, just being in a northern small city has a lot of the peace and nature you don't get in big cities. It's kind of a "in between". There is something pretty cool about being able to see the northern lights and stars pretty much from your house.



That was taken just across the street. That night I drove a bit out of the city to get a bunch more pictures.

Keeping my eye out now that it's nice out for good nights as I want to go back with my fish eye lens.

 

[Thebobo]

I did it back in the 80s when it was still dirt. We had a plexiglass shield on the front of the jeep to keep the rocks from hitting the windshield. Then one day we left it off and sure enough, cracked the windshield. I hear it's a lot better these days.

Me too, early eighties, three months later on the way back I rolled that van along the Alcan. Yea now it's paved.

Me and my buddies 67 Dodge Sportsman van along the Alcan.