Moving out of Alaska?

[gobrien]

Originally Posted by malagagirl

I have lived in Arizona, Ohio, Florida, Michigan, Washington and currently am in Oregon. If I could get a job in Alaska I would be there in a heart beat.

However, there are things about the L48 I would miss. I LIKE being able to easily travel to different sorts of places. From where I live in Eastern Oregon I can easily go to rain forest or coastline, to Cascade mountains or Palouse, to high desert sage brush country, to city life or rural towns.

That variety is pretty appealing. Also I like the sense of freedom of being able to jump in my car on the spur of the moment and just DRIVE to anyplace I care to go...have done a few cross country trips that have been very memorable.

Alaska seems rather confining... need a ferry or a plane to get out, both requiring advanced planning and a chunk of green.

However, if I was going to be confined, OH what a place to be...

You are correct, there are very few places down here where there are wide open spaces with no people and the few that there are (like maybe the badlands of North Dakota?) are pretty much uninhabitable.

Nice to hear from you Malagirl! You can drive out of Alaska but it does take some time.....it's funny to read the Hawaii forum, people ask how it feels to be confined to an island. Now that is a place that is difficult to move to, having to ship your car.

[Grannysroost]

Originally Posted by gobrien

Nice to hear from you Malagirl! You can drive out of Alaska but it does take some time.....it's funny to read the Hawaii forum, people ask how it feels to be confined to an island. Now that is a place that is difficult to move to, having to ship your car.

Trust me, Alaska is like an island...you have to ship your car if not driving out through Canada...we did.....

[BudinAk]

Originally Posted by Grannysroost

Trust me, Alaska is like an island...you have to ship your car if not driving out through Canada...we did.....

Maybe so, but it's a pretty durn big island...


Bud

[AlaskaDream4ever]

Missouri is a great place! We live in Texas now and getting away by moving to Anchorage. My Grandmother farmed in Missouri all her life and our family loved it their. If I had any family left in Missouri ... I probably would have never lived in Texas. But now my honey and I are living our dream and moving to Alaska :-)

[rwjoyak]

Originally Posted by Anch-Wasilla-Fairbanks

My husband keeps talking about the UP Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, or Kentuky. Maybe Texas. All very different places... I think we are looking for four seasons and good people.

The places you mentioned mostly all have a lot more humidity/higher temps during summer/fall than Alaska. After living your entire life in Alaska, I wouldn't discount how uncomfortable you may be in a higher humidity area.
My wife and I grew up in Fairbanks, and spent our first 38 years there, then moved outside due to a job offer I had. Also, I had traveled enough on business to the lower 48 to realize how much longer winter lasts in Alaska than outside, so there was a real draw to going somewhere with shorter winters and more moderate weather.
Since leaving Fairbanks in 1989, we spent 16 years in California, 4 in Kentucky, and then moved last December to New Mexico. Have mixed feelings about being gone from Alaska, and still consider Fairbanks our "home." Didn't realize some of the things we would miss most. Friends and family are an obvious issue, but one of the things I really miss is the long summer twilight hours. Even after 20 years I still get a bit homesick when the twilight is just right; only problem is it only lasts 30 minutes or so compared to hours and hours of the midnight sun in Fairbanks.
California was good for us in terms of my job, but there's so much wrong with the state I wouldn't recommend it to anyone now - horrible economy, way too many people, huge issue and getting bigger over "poor" vs "rich" folks, etc.
Kentucky was nice - a very beautiful green place - but the people there (and even more so in California) weren't as friendly as you find in Alaska (assuming you're friendly as well). And anywhere there's a lot of green in the lower 48 east of the Mississippi there's a lot of humidity as well. Can you tell we hate humid weather?
We moved to New Mexico with the expectation that this is where we'll spend the rest of our lives. Don't have a lot of experience here yet but our first impressions are absolutely great. Very friendly people, absolutely beautiful scenery, and lots of open space. It actually reminds a lot of Alaska in all 3 of those categories. Much of it is high desert so not a lot of green but there are areas up in the mountains that get more snow/rain and are greener.
A rural lifestyle is easy to find here but jobs can be scarce. I've heard it said that New Mexico is a great place to be if you have a job but a bad place if you don't. This may be true of almost any place but certainly seems to fit New Mexico. On the plus side, the weather may be about the best in the country if you're looking for 4 pretty moderate seasons.

Looking back on our experience I'd suggest the following:
1. Make a list of everything you love and hate about Alaska, and be honest doing it. Think about the little things, too, like the twilight summer evenings I mentioned.
2. Make a list of why you're thinking of moving, in detail.
3. Make a list of what type of place you would like to live in. Include what weather you like, community size, liberal or conservative, nearness to a bigger metro area, what community amenities you want/need, importance of a college or university in the area (this can have a big impact on things to do in the community), etc., etc., etc. Make it as complete as possible.
4. Do research on the areas you're considering moving to, and evaluate each against the lists you made under 1-3.
5. After you think you found a good fit go visit the place. And do it during the worst time of the year weather-wise. Almost any place looks good during favorable weather; it's the other times that are likely to make or break a place as the one you want to live in year-round.
6. If you have the money, visit the 2nd and 3rd places on your list, too.

Good luck. Looking back I still think we made the right decision but I also continue to second guess myself several times a year when the call of Alaska gets strong. And this is from someone who makes a decision and moves on. Remember, for most folks the grass is greener on the other side. I'd make sure you have strong positive reasons for moving out, which outweigh all the pluses for Alaska you may put on your lists, before deciding to head outside

[doug1980]

I have lived all over. 2 years in Dallas, 1 year in Louisianna, 5 years in Ft. Lauderdale but most of my life was in Indiana. I have been in Alaska for 19 months now and can barely stand it. Every place I have been I was able to adjust and feel comfortable except here. Not sure why but June 2011 can't seem to get here fast enough. I hate the long winter, the lack of sunlight, the distance away from everything. I'm glad I came here and am very grateful for the opportunity to see this place but this is not home. I guess the only advice I can offer is if Alaska feels like home to you, moving anywhere else will never be satisfying. You can be happy but you will always compare it to AK.

[BudinAk]

Originally Posted by Anch-Wasilla-Fairbanks

This is going to sound pathetic... My husband and I were both born in Anchorage & grew up there. We went to UAF for college and headed back down to Anchorage for our careers and started our family. We now live in Fairbanks after living in Wasilla for a couple of years (his work moved us up here). We are now considering leaving Alaska since we have never been out (vacations, yes). So, what about the lower 48 is good? What makes people live there verses here? Yes, I know about the weather and light issues here... that is a given that we live with, but what makes everyone leave and come here? We DON'T want to make a mistake and then rush back because we don't like it there. I guess I just want to hear the pros and cons, without any rants of different states verses Alaska.
Thanks!

Someone on the thread mentioned taxes, so thought I would investigate. It appears one should think twice before moving to New Jersey, or New York. And a handful of other states, for that matter:

Table: Who Pays America's Highest Property Taxes? - Forbes.com

The best and worst states for taxes - MSN Money

Taxes by State

Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed

Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed


Think it through carefully...moving to some of the states is a BAD idea!


Bud

[michmoldman]

Originally Posted by Anch-Wasilla-Fairbanks

This is going to sound pathetic... My husband and I were both born in Anchorage & grew up there. We went to UAF for college and headed back down to Anchorage for our careers and started our family. We now live in Fairbanks after living in Wasilla for a couple of years (his work moved us up here). We are now considering leaving Alaska since we have never been out (vacations, yes). So, what about the lower 48 is good? What makes people live there verses here? Yes, I know about the weather and light issues here... that is a given that we live with, but what makes everyone leave and come here? We DON'T want to make a mistake and then rush back because we don't like it there. I guess I just want to hear the pros and cons, without any rants of different states verses Alaska.
Thanks!

I would agree with Nephler. The U.P of Michigan may be a good fit if you do not want to move to a place with a lot of heat and humidity. There are a lot of the same wildlife, lots of snow and forest areas, and the summers are amazing. Plus... if you needed to get away to a warmer place, its not too far away. Employment would be a big issue. Oh...Lake superior is amazing!