moving to alaska (school, living, cost of living) - (AK) - Page 4 - City-Data Forum

tammy63 · 01-04-2008, 03:17 AM

Thank you so much for sharing JavaPhil! That makes me feel more at ease because I never hear or... see.. anyone ever say anything about Clam Gulch and not many people live there I guess. Maybe because it hasn't been developed yet??

Dreamers · 01-04-2008, 04:37 AM

Tammy63, Yes we will be renting for a while. We are lucky since we lived in AK before, we have many friends there. My hubby is going to go up a couple weeks before my daughter and I to get a rental, furniture and so on. It is usually still winter in March, but we love the AK winters. I miss the snow so much. Here in NC we have had the cold, but no snow.

Dreamers

tammy63 · 01-04-2008, 06:01 AM

Dreamers, I am a teacher too! I teach physical education here in Oklahoma.. for 18 years now. I am also a personal trainer. My husband is a retired junior college wrestling coach/athletic director. I will plan to try to substitute teach as well and maybe eventually land a teaching job. The problem is that Clam Gulch is not close to any schools that I am aware of. I have heard that Alaska is improving their physical education programs and will have more jobs available in that area which would be great for me.

Have you already purchased your land in Soldotna? I have been to Soldotna and think it is a great place! We will be spending two nights there in May.

Keep me posted!

Dreamers · 01-04-2008, 01:39 PM

Tammy63,
I am a special education teacher for 24 years now. No we have not purchased our land yet, we are looking into several parcels in and around Sterling. But we are going to wait until we get there to buy.Our rush is not to buy or build, but to just get back to AK as soon as possible! I miss being there so bad. I wish we could have stayed in AK, but you know when family things happen sometimes you have to put them first. But as soon as we have some loose ends tied up here we are on our way back. Are you teaching now? I am teaching in a Self-contained BED class, it's awful! I just love going to work and getting beat on everyday. But there a light at the end of the tunnel, my last day is Jan. 31st. Thank God! That will give me time to get ready to leave.

Dreamers

tammy63 · 01-04-2008, 04:51 PM

Dreamers... it sounds like you have your hands full! I am glad that you are finished Jan. 31st. It sounds like you will be ready for a change. How did you get to Alaska originally? Did you vacation there and suddenly decide that is where your heart is? Are you renting in soldotna or do you have a place lined out yet? Yes, I am teaching now. I only teach 3 days a week.. PERFECT! I teach at a small country school that has 3 board members and a great principal. I went to the board last December and asked them if I could teach three days a week and found someone to teach my other two days. They approved it and we have been doing it since. I have a small gym built on my house and I do personal training 6 days a week so I needed a break somewhere.

Dreamers · 01-05-2008, 05:58 AM

Tammy63
We had never visited AK before, but we had always wanted to go. But we got side lined raising our 2 kids, raising 3 nieces and nephews, and countless friends of our children,not to mention taking care of my in-laws for 15 years. So we had had enough, so I put my resume' on the ATP website and within a week I had 5 job offers. We researched the areas and liked what we saw in Cordova, so I took the position and we moved there. We absolutely loved it. It was the best year of our life. But when a family emergency came up, we had to make the hard decision to move back to NC. But now that all the family issues have settled down, as soon as the sale goes trough with our houses here, we are going back for good! I will come back once a year to visit my son and grand daughter. We are now at the place in our lives that we can do what we want to do and quit taking care of everybody else. No one in the family ever appreciated what we did anyway. We only got more grief. But anyway. I really enjoyed teaching in Cordova. I met some really good people there and we still talk to each other on a regular basis. Sometimes I miss it so bad I sit down and cry! But I will get back there again, the sooner the better. Even our 16 year old daughter can't wait to get back.
The only thing I will miss from NC when I am in AK is seeing my son and granddaughter on a weekly basis. I love spoiling her.

Dreamers

tammy63 · 01-05-2008, 09:15 AM

Dreamers,
Why aren't you moving back to Cordova since you loved it so much and that is where your friends are?

Dreamers · 01-05-2008, 09:22 AM

Tammy63,
Well, since the town is so small there is no need for more spec ed teachers since they hired someone to replace me, and there is not much in the way of work for my hubby. Plus we for the sake of our daughter want to get on the road system. That way we and she can go places without having to fly or take the ferry. Also, we can get land slightly cheaper on the road system than in Cordova. We will be able to go back for frequent visits though once we get back in AK.

Dreamers

tammy63 · 01-06-2008, 08:01 AM

Well, if you think about it you will be there in just a few weeks! Are you going to try to sub for the rest of the school year? What is the "school year" in Alaska? Do you happen to know? Will you try to work in the summer too? I am counting the days until we get there in May.. and it is just for a visit.. (sad face)! We are going to take my parents for their first visit. They can't believe we are planning to move to Alaska.. they will know why when we get there. Agree?

Dreamers · 01-06-2008, 08:28 AM

Tammy63

Yes, if all goes well, with the closing of our houses, it won't be long and we will be in AK. I hope to do some sub work when I get there while I am taking my classes (AK Studies and Multi Cultural) and preparing to take the Praxis so I can get my AK certification again. Hopefully I will have all that finished by the 2008-2009 school year so I can get a full time job. This summer we are hoping to travel and see the parts of AK that we didn't get to last year.
Most of my family is envious of us, they have been to AK and would love to move there, but they tell me they are too scared to take the risk. But they want to come and visit me! Life is too short to not follow your dreams.Even if we do fall on our face, at least I can say I tried! But since we have lived there before, if we were going to fall on our face I think it would have been the first we lived there.

Dreamers