Alaska One Year Later

We are coming up on one year living in Alaska. I can say that living here has been nothing like I thought it would be. When we first got here, my first thought was "What have we gotten ourselves into?". Then, I started liking the place. I really liked learning about Alaska and it's people. Now I can say I love this place. I always knew I would appreciate the time that we have had here, but I never thought I would grow to love it.

The things I have learned...
-Cold it relative. In the south, anything below 60 degrees starts getting cold. But here, anything above 30 is warm, especially if the sun is out. If you don't believe me, ask my mom.
-No humidity in the summer is wonderful! Your clothes don't stick to you and it barely gets above 80 degrees.
-Driving up here it's that bad in the winter. They are pretty good about keeping the major roads clear. If you use common sense and watch out for others, you will be fine.
-Everyone walks up here all year round.
-The scenery is constantly changing and is always beautiful.
-Snow is beautiful when it is falling and then you have to shovel it. Snow shoveling isn't that fun. And I am thankful that this winter has been relatively mild.
-People are nice up here and very helpful. You can even understand what is being said to you in the drive through and even those people are happy to serve you.
-If you are near a stream and you see fish, there is a bear near by. Thankfully, I have not come into contact with one.
-Moose are HUGE! I do not get tired of seeing them walking around.
-The weather changes fast depending on what area of town you are in.
-Ice fog is a phenomenon I have never seen until I lived here. When we had a week of it, chain-link fences turned into privacy fences.
-It is not dark for 2 months solid. Our shortest day was 5 hours.
-People up here are not totally isolated from the rest of the world. They are just as smart and educated as most of the rest of the country. They do keep up with current events.
-Most people are not native to Alaska, they moved here by choice.
-Yes, if you are a resident up here, you do get money from the state, but it is NOT enough to live off of. Ask those in the homeless shelters.
-Cost of living here is high, but you get use to it after a few trips to the store.
-Moose is good to eat.
-A remote start for you car is soooooooo nice.
-There are 2 season, Spring and Winter.
-You will know when winter is coming because of the termination dust. When you see the mountain peaks with a dusting of snow, snow will be on the ground in 30 days.


Keep in mind that I am in Anchorage, so I have not experienced the "bush". Alaska is a very large state and depending on where you are, the weather and your experiences are different. But over all, living here has been a pleasant surprise. We were told negative things about living here especially from people that have never been here. The lesson it has taught me? You need to experience a place before you make up your mind about it. Don't let what others say dictate the way you experience someplace or something.