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Old 07-25-2011, 11:09 AM
 
Location: Battle Ground, WA
1 posts, read 1,381 times
Reputation: 10

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Hello everyone,

My husband and I are considering moving to Alaska. We currently live in Southwest Washington. Both of us are miserable here! We want to be in a place that we can be comfortable, since both of us enjoy cooler weather, and love winter. Right now, we have it narrowed down to 4 places: Anchorage, Eagle River, Kodiak and Fairbanks. Can anyone help us narrow it down to just one place?? (like pros and cons?)

We also love to fish, and have been doing so for a long time. We would want to be somewhere where we could go fishing also.

I am also wanting to go to a great college, and I was reading on the UAA and the UAF websites. Someone told me that they are both EXCELLENT! And now, Im confused on what to do, as far as that goes. Where would we have to live?

My husband is a veteran and he receives his grant, but is also going to be collecting retirement. I am not working right now, so we are pretty much living off of his income. I do realize that I will have to get a job to help make ends meet. Any place to start looking while we are still down here?

Does anyone have any thoughts or ideas?? Any help would be wonderful!

Thank you,

Cassie
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Old 07-25-2011, 02:06 PM
 
Location: Lyon, France, Whidbey Island WA
20,838 posts, read 17,140,143 times
Reputation: 11535
The sticky posted by Rance should be very helpful. Retirement and no job does not sound healthy unless you have some $ in the bank which could be used. The links posted are very helpful.
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Old 07-25-2011, 06:05 PM
 
Location: Wasilla, AK
2,795 posts, read 5,626,090 times
Reputation: 2535
Anchorage is home to UAA and is Alaska's largest city. Fairbanks is home to UAF and can see temperatures as low as 60 below in the winter and as high as 90 degrees in the summer. Eagle River is a bedroom community of Anchorage.
Kodiak is a fishing community of about 6000 people. It has a wetter climate with slightly warmer temperatures in the winter and cooler temperatures in the summer (as compared to Anchorage). Kodiak has a branch campus of UAA with limited classes offered.
UAA & UAF have different strengths depending on the area you are studying... I'd suggest visiting their websites to see what they offer and if it lines up with what you are considering.

Anchorage/Eagle River or Kodiak would be better for fishing than Fairbanks.

Jobs: Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development or anchorage / mat-su all jobs classifieds - craigslist

Take some time to read through these forums. Many of your questions have been answered before. Also, this is a big move. I'd suggest a two week visit first. You could visit all four communities & the colleges and that would give you a much better idea of what you are looking at.
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Old 07-25-2011, 09:01 PM
 
Location: Not far from Fairbanks, AK
20,299 posts, read 37,246,902 times
Reputation: 16404
If you are interested on engineering, any degree, UAF is the place. Otherwise UAA and the rest.
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Old 07-25-2011, 09:07 PM
 
Location: Southwest WA
30 posts, read 68,677 times
Reputation: 18
How funny! I could have written the first 3 sentences!! I had to double check myself to see if I typed something in my sleep...
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Old 07-26-2011, 04:07 PM
 
Location: Barrow Alaska
206 posts, read 514,881 times
Reputation: 270
My family and I just moved up here from Kelso/Longview area of SW. WA.

Wife got a job teaching here in Barrow AK. While i would not suggest coming here without a job offer in hand, there are other things you can do to supplement your husbands income.

Thing is though, moving to Anchorage from SW. WA. is kinda like moving to another part of SW. WA. Other then the surrounding views (very nice landscape) it almost feels like living in the lower 48.

I am more curious why you want to leave WA so badly, my family and I would have stayed if my wife could have found local employment, but we took the first good offer, and rolled the dice.

I can say this, where we live its kind of a harsh reality compared to those cities on the road system in Alaska. You are isolated and you will feel like an outcast for quite sometime, but if you move to one of the larger cities you will feel a bit more normal, but on the other hand it will be pretty much the same kind of lifestyle you can get in WA. just more expensive.

Moving to Alaska is a very large under taking, not only does it cost alot to make the move, it also requires alot of compromising (especially if you are on a tight budget).

If you have some more specific questions i would be glad to help you with any answers i can provide, and i am sure there will be plenty of others wanting to help you also.

Good luck in whatever you choose
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