Heidi Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 how did you like it? My husband wants to move to Fairbanks Ak for a few years, and I'm not really sold. It sounds cold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlmiraGulch Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 It sounds cold because it IS cold. :D And no, I have not lived there. Because it's cold. (But beautiful, I must admit). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi Posted January 14, 2011 Author Share Posted January 14, 2011 It sounds cold because it IS cold. :D And no, I have not lived there. Because it's cold. (But beautiful, I must admit). LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybear Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Why Fairbanks? Even Alaska has warmer places.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi Posted January 14, 2011 Author Share Posted January 14, 2011 Why Fairbanks? Even Alaska has warmer places.:) That's the town where his job would take him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Alaska is a great place to live. Fairbanks has a long, cold winter and is very far away. Do you really want to leave everyone you know? Look at the airfare? Men seem to think it's a great adventure but many a woman has come crying to me, when I worked in a doctors office, because they had left everything behind. You don't always get to come back... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi Posted January 14, 2011 Author Share Posted January 14, 2011 Me: 2 points. Husband: 0 Keep 'em coming! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linders Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Do you like really long nights 3 months of the year? Isolation? Fairbanks isn't a bad city but it is far from...anything. And I had a hard time waking up when the sun didn't rise until 11 am. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi Posted January 14, 2011 Author Share Posted January 14, 2011 Ladies, this is hmsmith's dh. Although honesty is the best policy; or the only policy in my book, know that you are not helping me with your cold-shouldered comments. ;) Focus on the positive aspects.....at least for the next week while things are finalized. v/r, dh :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Are you kidding? I hate living in Pennsylvania November-March. I hate snow, ice, wind, cold, all of that. I couldn't even IMAGINE Alaska. Brrr! Can't you talk him into, oh, I don't know, Hawaii or something instead? That'd be MY dream. :D (I'd settle for Florida. Every winter I tell my husband we should move to Florida. Last year he told me, "But I bought us a new snowblower." Uh... and the snowblower is supposed to keep me warm HOW, exactly?!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Ladies, this is hmsmith's dh. Although honesty is the best policy; or the only policy in my book, know that you are not helping me with your cold-shouldered comments. ;) Focus on the positive aspects.....at least for the next week while things are finalized.v/r, dh :) :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hockey Mom Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 After over two decades of living in Florida, I wouldn't think twice about moving to Alaska! I envy you!! Go for it!! Take lots of pictures. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Geek Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 I worked in Anchorage which is pretty mild in comparison to Fairbanks. If you go, get a 4 wheel drive vehicle with studded tires, a block engine heater, remote start, transmission heater, and battery heater. Stay in a place with either a garage or covered parking, but preferably a garage. You'll run your car a lot heating it up while you are inside staying warm. The long days in the summer where harder on us than the long nights in the winter. We just decided we were going to stay active and do things when it was dark. Buy good long underwear, a good cold weather parka, snow pants, boots. Have lots of fun skiing, snow machining, visit Chena Hot Springs when it's really cold, enjoy watching the wildlife, go out in the middle of the night and watch the northern lights but only when they are good (there is a website that tells you the intensity) walk up to a glacier, travel around the state, go fishing, and have a great time. Be thankful you get a chance to be in such a beautiful part of the world.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakblossoms Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 My husband got offered a job in Juneau. I lived in Fairbanks as a child. I don't think it is going to happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angela in GA Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Well, I LOVE Alaska. We lived in Fairbanks about 10 years ago, loved it then, decided we needed another chance to see if we would love it now that we're older. Guess what...we DO! We've been here just over a month now, living right in town in Fairbanks, and it is wonderful. Cold? Certainly. Dark? Yup! Beautiful? YES! Great people? Most definitely! There is a lot more shopping here than there was 10 years ago, which is a big plus. We have a Barnes and Noble with an awesome fireplace in the cafe area with big comfy chairs to relax in. Does it get any better than that? :p We know we will be here for at least 3 years. Dh is military. However, we're 99.9% sure we will retire here. Oh, I should mention, homeschooling is huge here. Tons of people are doing it. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simka2 Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 I am jealous!!!! I would do it in a heartbeat....for the right job ;)! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 I'd go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam Wilhelm Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 I'd go.....if the company paid for the move, etc. We moved from the Atlanta area to West Central Minnesota... our temp right now is 12*F. It was quite an adjustment......but we have done well with it. We love it up here...... the cold is not an issue!!! You adjust, change some things, prepare...and prepare some more. You'll spend the first few years buying the odd things you need/want........ really, really good winter clothes! A good winterproof car! etc. My only concern would be the darkness up there......... but seeing how the community here in Detroit Lakes, MN has activities yearround ..... lots of stuff to keep you busy....... I'm sure they have stuff up there to do. get involved. It is a once in a lifetime kind of thing.................. GO!!! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Didn't someone recently mention something about $10 for a gallon of milk? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenn- Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 I can't tell you what it is like as an adult, but for your children, I say go. I "grew up" in Alaska having been stationed at Elmendorf AFB (Anchorage) from infancy to 5yo and then Eielson (Fairbanks) from 7-11yo. I look back on those years with great fondness. Great outdoor adventures, even in the depth of winter. My father would clear off a patch in the yard, lay down plastic and create us our own ice skating rink. We just had to keep it shoveled. During the summers my parents would get caught up having a cookout with neighbors that suddenly it would be 11pm and none of us kids were in bed (sun was still up after all). I walked a mile to school on base during the dead of winter in the dark both directions, you just had to bundle up more. I won't deny that as an adult having lived the life of the deep south for the last 10 years, the temps would scare me now, but as I have adjusted to the climate here, you will do the same up there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specialmama Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Think of the salmon... just *think* of the salmon! Take that how you want, I hate salmon. Just trying to make it look supportive to your dh, but really, I'm cold in Edmonton. You'd be a wee bit more north. But then, you'd have fresh salmon... the only place in the world where fresh and frozen are synonymous... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZooRho Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 I lived in Anchorage. it was different from Fairbanks though. There were hard times there, but we also loved it. The summers are great. Lots of great sunshine in fact 20 years later and summer in VA depresses me since we don't get the almost 20 hrs of sunshine. Fishing was great there. We loved camping out. We loved cross country skiing and downhill skiing. There was so much more to do that we didn't get a chance to do. the down side, the winters can be tough. Fairbanks is in a worse spot for that. it is cold. BUT you get use to it. I grew up in TX trust me you do get use to it. it is FAR FAR away. and tough and expensive to get out of there. But I'd love to go back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RainbowSprinkles Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 We came to AK in 2008 (Military). We live outside of Anchorage on post. Fairbanks is about a 5-6 hour drive from here. Dh's old Capt. just moved there from here. I facebook with his wife. She says shopping is very limited there and it's beyond freezing. She has posted temperatures of -40!!! She does love it though. The other thing is going to visit out of state is very expensive. We went to visit Fairbanks last summer and it was nice. We were even saying, it's much nicer (quieter) than Anchorage. Alaska is great if you do a lot of outdoor stuff. Fishing, hunting, skiing... the kids will love the snow. The snow will get on your nerves after about the first two months of it. Groceries are very expensive. A gallon of milk is just about $5. We do get a living allowance from the military because of the high cost. I have to go for now. But if you have any other specific questions, I'd be happy to try to answer :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msjones Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 A friend of mine lived there for a few years after she was married -- near Anchorage, I believe. I have a fantasy about living in Alaska -- surrounded by the wild, wild world, far, far from the cares of the city...etc, etc. She laughs when I tell her that. Her biggest complaints seem to be: dark winters, lousy/expensive fresh produce, and mosquitoes in the summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daisy Mommy Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 We have a Barnes and Noble with an awesome fireplace in the cafe area with big comfy chairs to relax in. Does it get any better than that? Barns and Noble now!!! I'm jealous! I never had that...lol I lived in North Pole Alaska (near Fairbanks) until I was 16. I loved it :) there's lots of space, it's quiet, the people are friendly, I love snow!!, and the aurora borealis (northern lights) are amazing! Plus believe it or not it's actually warm during the summers. It might get dark (and cold) a lot during the winter though, but you can get artificial "sun" lights to keep things cheery. And just don't go outside at -20 or colder if you don't have too. I would move back in a heartbeat if I could! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlaskaGrownFamily Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 I can't tell you what it is like as an adult, but for your children, I say go. I "grew up" in Alaska having been stationed at Elmendorf AFB (Anchorage) from infancy to 5yo and then Eielson (Fairbanks) from 7-11yo. I look back on those years with great fondness. Great outdoor adventures, even in the depth of winter. My father would clear off a patch in the yard, lay down plastic and create us our own ice skating rink. We just had to keep it shoveled. During the summers my parents would get caught up having a cookout with neighbors that suddenly it would be 11pm and none of us kids were in bed (sun was still up after all). I walked a mile to school on base during the dead of winter in the dark both directions, you just had to bundle up more. I won't deny that as an adult having lived the life of the deep south for the last 10 years, the temps would scare me now, but as I have adjusted to the climate here, you will do the same up there. Jenn, you're freaking me out! We were at Eielson when I was 3y/o - 9y/o -- I'm dying to know what years you were there and if we were at the same school/same time! It would have been 1982ish to 1989ish for me -- Did you go to Anderson? Pennell? I rode my bike and walked across base, too -- from Columbia Circle (which was totally new when we lived there, townhouse-style duplex units. Anyway, small world! OP, I grew up in and around Fairbanks (Eielson AFB, Ft Wainwright, North Pole, Fairbanks proper) from infancy until I was 12. I've lived in Anchorage for the past 14 years, since I was 17. Alaska is one of those love it/hate it places. And the vast majority of the people who live here love it! :D Fairbanks is not my favorite place in Alaska, but there are plenty of folks who really appreciate it's frontiersy feeling and the sense of community there. Honestly, it's freaky-weird for me to experience heat and dark at the same time. After spending almost my entire life in Alaska, heat = light for me, and going outside where it gets dark at night trips me out! I LOVE our 20+ hour summer days. On the other hand, the winters really get to me. It's cold, dark, and can feel very isolated with the short days and long, long nights. I don't know where you other Alaskans are buying your milk, but where I get it, it's $2.99ish/gal for conventional. :) In the villages, you're going to pay top dollar for any perishable grocery items, notsomuch in the cities. Think of the experience for your family! Since you know it's just for a few years, you can fully enjoy all of the wonderful things about Alaska and live with the not-so-pleasant, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMW Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 It is hard to live in Alaska. I lived 22 miles out of Fairbanks, in North Pole. It is a hard life. That said, you make the best of each day, just like you would anywhere.... You have to be aware of plugging in your car... having lots of survival rated warm clothing and boots... You cannot just up and go in the winter. It is a harder life. Summers are amazing, though. There is so much sun. You literally suck up the energy, even if you are not directly outside. You go and go and go and you sigh happily when it turns to fall because you are about ready for a break! I liked homeschooling in Alaska. There was a very great program that we used there, lots of support. I liked it that our winters were a bit prohibitive... it gave me good reason to stay put and stick to the lesson plans. We burrowed in and read lots of great books. My very best friend lives in Fairbanks. I miss her. If you go, let me know. We can chat some more about it. Although I have NO desire to live there again, I am very glad for our time there. (Did I just say that??) We lived on 10 acres and the children were able to be kids... snow forts, summer tee-pees, ponds, etc. They had a great childhood in many ways. The area and time we lived there was much less influenced by American pop culture and we loved that... And that's all that I suppose I have to share at this time... :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m0mmaBuck Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 My best friend lives in North Pole. She and her husband stayed there after he retired from the Army because they like it so much. They love to camp, fish and hunt. They love all the outdoor opportunities as well as the friends they have made. Their main drawback is how expensive it is to go anywhere (his family is in TX, hers is in Ontario, Canada, and of course we are here in WA). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amydavis Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Wow, it's so neat seeing a few others that have lived in North Pole. I lived there back in '92, but eventually my ex-h and I moved onto Fort Wainwright (Fairbanks). I have to say, I really thought the area was beautiful, but at the time, it did lack in the shopping department. Glad to hear that they have a B&N now! Truthfully, I was there in a bad marriage, which made me feel even more isolated. It's not like I could just jump in the car and drive over to my parents' house (in NC). I've told my wonderful dh that I would love to experience living there in a good marriage (LOL), although I can't imagine circumstances taking us there, since we're not military. I did get used to the darkness, and the cold. Shopping was hard in the middle of winter, especially with a little one, due to the whole plugging in the car in the parking lot, then having to venture across town to do it again. When I was there, they had a Sears and a Lamont's, which was similar to Belk's or Hecht's. But, they weren't anchored together in a mall, so you ended up doing the in and out of the car and plugging in thing, way too much! I always thought a mall would work so well there, so people could come in out of the cold, plug in the car one time only, and knock out a lot of shopping. Does anyone know if they have gotten anything like that yet? Summers are awesome. It was actually harder, for me, to get used to the long daylight hours. But there were so many great outdoor activities. The area is beautiful; it can't even be described well enough to do it justice to someone who hasn't lived there. I just remember how huge the sky looked...how far you could see, without wires, etc. tainting the view. Gorgeous. Oh, and both places I lived in the area (one that was remote, one that was on the base), I encountered a moose in my yard - so cool! HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi Posted January 14, 2011 Author Share Posted January 14, 2011 What is "plugging the car"? So more about the salmon.... is there really a lot of it? Is it cheap? Could I eat salmon every day? A little more information about me.... I was raised in the South and I have lived in the South for my entire life except 2 years in Utah. I have four small children and plan on having two more immediately and my husband is military and will most likely deploy and leave me in Alaska for a year... all alone. It probably isn't a good idea for me. But I'm always up for an adventure and I'm willing to go, after all the good things that have been said, especially about the salmon ;). I'm hoping I can MAKE it work. Thanks for the input! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amydavis Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 We had something that went under the hood, on top of the engine, as I recall. You had to plug that thing in, which kept your engine from freezing. All of the stores had the plug thingies, (don't you love my technical terms?) in the parking lots. Maybe someone else can give the more precise names, LOL. Oh, and I am also from the south. I had only ever lived in NC until that point. And that's where I have been since. So, even a southern girl can get used to the weather! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dm379 Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 I have a couple of friends stationed there and they love it. I have another one that is trying to get back there. We considered it but unfortunately there was no good positions for dh during the right time. We would have went for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kari C in SC Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 My son was stationed at Ft. Wainwright. I do believe his biggest complaint was being so far away from family. It cost $1000+ per airplane ticket to come home and it took an entire day of lots of plane changes. We raised him in FL, so AK was a huge change for him. He enjoyed snowboarding, paintball and that kind of thing. They definitely have more shopping because I can tell you that he did a lot of shopping in his 8 months there. I think out of pure boredom from the cold. He often would send me a picture mail on my phone of whatever he was seeing on the road. He would tell me it was beautiful and that I needed to see it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specialmama Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 (edited) We had something that went under the hood, on top of the engine, as I recall. You had to plug that thing in, which kept your engine from freezing. All of the stores had the plug thingies, (don't you love my technical terms?) in the parking lots. Maybe someone else can give the more precise names, LOL. Oh, and I am also from the south. I had only ever lived in NC until that point. And that's where I have been since. So, even a southern girl can get used to the weather! Yes, block heaters. If you don't plug your car in while not in use, it will not start. It's fine for a few hours, maybe 5 tops depending on the car and temperature, but when it was minus 50 here a few years ago, my new-that-year Honda couldn't handle more than that. Edited January 14, 2011 by specialmama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenn- Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 What is "plugging the car"? So more about the salmon.... is there really a lot of it? Is it cheap? Could I eat salmon every day? A little more information about me.... I was raised in the South and I have lived in the South for my entire life except 2 years in Utah. I have four small children and plan on having two more immediately and my husband is military and will most likely deploy and leave me in Alaska for a year... all alone. It probably isn't a good idea for me. But I'm always up for an adventure and I'm willing to go, after all the good things that have been said, especially about the salmon ;). I'm hoping I can MAKE it work. Thanks for the input! You find out when and where it is running and you go catch it yourself. I totally forgot about fishing as a kid. When we would go on vacation to places like Valdez and Seward, it was literally throw the line in a couple of times and pull out a fish. Be done with the daily amount you could pull in an hour or so. It totally ruined fishing anywhere else for me. I mean seriously, sit in a boat for hours and hours and hope to possibly catch something? That's insane to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenn- Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Jenn, you're freaking me out! We were at Eielson when I was 3y/o - 9y/o -- I'm dying to know what years you were there and if we were at the same school/same time! It would have been 1982ish to 1989ish for me -- Did you go to Anderson? Pennell? I rode my bike and walked across base, too -- from Columbia Circle (which was totally new when we lived there, townhouse-style duplex units. Anyway, small world! PMing you to keep this thread on track. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RainbowSprinkles Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Maybe consider going to Anchorage instead of Fairbanks? I don't think it is as bad as there. We have a garage and never had to plug in our car. I've only seen people without garages doing the plugging. Most places in Anchorage don't even have the plug things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the4Rs Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 I grew up on Kenai Peninsula as a kid which is south of Anchorage. I have some pretty amazing memories from that so for your kids it would be an amazing experience. Now I will share some things from my mom's perspective who moved there because my dad wanted her to. 1. She had to leave all her friends and family and it was hard to get back. In the 7 years we lived there she got to see her family once. I am sure if you make more than my dad did that wouldn't be an issue for you. 2. She felt very alone sometimes. Not to say she didn't have friends but she felt secluded sometimes, esp in the winter. 3. She had actual experiences with blackbears on our vehicles and one standing on it's hind legs pushing against the living room window trying to get in. We couldn't go anywhere without a gun. Moose were always walking over our fences and eating our garden produce. Wild packs of dogs were not unusual- we lost several to the wild packs. Now with Fairbanks being a bigger town than where we lived that may not be an issue for you. 4. She loved that us kids could play outside for hour and hours and hours during the summer and tucker us out to sleep. ;) 5. She will credit AK with making her a lot stronger of a person and more resilient. She also says she has some great memories there too. Now my dad moved back to AK after my parents divorced in 97 and is still there. He lives in Soldotna, south of Anchorage. He no longer loves it like he used to. He loves the wildlife and the hiking and all that but he detests the long winters. There is a higher rate of depression in AK during wintertime. You literally see 4-5 hours of daylight period in winter....benefit was only 4-5 hours of darkness in summer! Would I ever live there again? Only if God called me there but that is highly unlikely. However I love telling people I lived there as a kid. I have stories that very few other people I know have experienced. Pretty cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ariston Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 I hated just about everything about living in Alaska, BUT we were in the middle of the tundra. I imagine living in a city would be better. Although, Fairbanks is very cold, even by Alaska standards. Where we lived (Bethel) was very isolated and UGLY. The environment is so harsh there that you actually can't do much outdoors. All summer are the worst most aggressive biting bugs and mosquitos, and mud mud mud. All winter is so cold you have to wear goggles or your eyelashes freeze. It was also hard and depressing having a toddler there. He was taking his first steps and we couldn't really take him outside because in the summer, there were no sidewalks and no grass and in the winter, it was too cold. I don't know what Fairbanks is like so maybe none of this applies. But I found it depressing that i couldn't do any of the things I thought of as 'normal' in the summer (i.e. going to a beach, sitting out on a lawn, playing soccer in a field.) Bethel was just mud and mosquitos for 4 months and then winter for 8 months. But again, Fairbanks is probably much better. Anywhere that has a Barnes and Noble can't be that bad! In Bethel people use to fly to Anchorage just to go to Walmart!! The meat was always rancid in the grocery store and milk was $7 a gallon. Being away from family was VERY hard as well. Bethel was also extremely ugly, which I found surprisingly hard to live with. Building on permafrost and where supplies are so expensive means that buildings have an 'unusual' look, to put it kindly. But, many of these things might apply only to the villages that are off the road system and not to a city like Fairbanks. For what its worth, the cold was NOT one of the things that I disliked about it. You just dress for it and you're OK. I love the squeaky sound of the snow when it gets below 0 or -10, and its fun to get a snow mobile and be able to go up and down the rivers. The salmon is amazing. If nothing else its an adventure and something that most people don't get to do. It kind of fun to experience that extreme climate. If you can handle the cold, and being away from family, then I'd say go for it--especially if its not a permanent move. If you're looking at is as a long term move, then its more risky and might be hard to predict if you'll love or hate it. Elena Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
golfcartmama Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 I have family that live in Anchorage and they love it, except for the lack of shopping opportunities. Everyone vacations in Hawaii though! Also, they pay each family member (babies and all) to live in the Alaska...I forget what's it's called but it's the payment from the oil companies. My closest family member's was $3600 in 09...not sure they got '10s yet. I love it when we've visted for extended periods except for the dark/light issue. In the summertime it never really gets dark, just twilight and in the winter I can't stand not having bright sunshine on most days. Also, everything (like food/meds, etc) cost more b/c it's more expensive to truck or fly them there. Just my 2 cents! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 I hated just about everything about living in Alaska, BUT we were in the middle of the tundra. I imagine living in a city would be better. Although, Fairbanks is very cold, even by Alaska standards. Where we lived (Bethel) was very isolated and UGLY. The environment is so harsh there that you actually can't do much outdoors. All summer are the worst most aggressive biting bugs and mosquitos, and mud mud mud. All winter is so cold you have to wear goggles or your eyelashes freeze. It was also hard and depressing having a toddler there. He was taking his first steps and we couldn't really take him outside because in the summer, there were no sidewalks and no grass and in the winter, it was too cold. I don't know what Fairbanks is like so maybe none of this applies. But I found it depressing that i couldn't do any of the things I thought of as 'normal' in the summer (i.e. going to a beach, sitting out on a lawn, playing soccer in a field.) Bethel was just mud and mosquitos for 4 months and then winter for 8 months. But again, Fairbanks is probably much better. Anywhere that has a Barnes and Noble can't be that bad! In Bethel people use to fly to Anchorage just to go to Walmart!! The meat was always rancid in the grocery store and milk was $7 a gallon. Being away from family was VERY hard as well. Bethel was also extremely ugly, which I found surprisingly hard to live with. Building on permafrost and where supplies are so expensive means that buildings have an 'unusual' look, to put it kindly. But, many of these things might apply only to the villages that are off the road system and not to a city like Fairbanks. For what its worth, the cold was NOT one of the things that I disliked about it. You just dress for it and you're OK. I love the squeaky sound of the snow when it gets below 0 or -10, and its fun to get a snow mobile and be able to go up and down the rivers. The salmon is amazing. If nothing else its an adventure and something that most people don't get to do. It kind of fun to experience that extreme climate. If you can handle the cold, and being away from family, then I'd say go for it--especially if its not a permanent move. If you're looking at is as a long term move, then its more risky and might be hard to predict if you'll love or hate it. Elena Fairbanks is NYC compared to Bethel. :lol: I've been there Elena. It was the 70s. My boss told me to get in and get out the same day. :D I got my work done in 1/2 a day and had a few hours to enjoy myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Embassy Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 I lived in Ketchikan for a couple years and loved it. It is quite different from Fairbanks, but I loved that it rained more days than it was sunny. Best of all I loved living at the edge of the ocean and the edge of a mountain. It was gorgeous. I miss it. We didn't get much snow though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ariston Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 Fairbanks is NYC compared to Bethel. :lol: I've been there Elena. It was the 70s. My boss told me to get in and get out the same day. :D I got my work done in 1/2 a day and had a few hours to enjoy myself. Hee hee, I don't doubt this. My mom came to visit us when our daughter was born and she said whenever the Alaska Air people saw her ticket they'd ask "what the heck are you going there for?!" I wasn't crazy about Anchorage either and wouldn't want to live there...I always picture Fairbanks as being better, but don't know why I have that impression since I've never been there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 (edited) Dh could just send his check home, and I would visit him in August. Edited January 16, 2011 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djsmom Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 I'd go! Having lived in MO my whole life, I'd be excited about the change...sounds like an adventure:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akmommy Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 Think of the salmon... just *think* of the salmon! Take that how you want, I hate salmon. Just trying to make it look supportive to your dh, but really, I'm cold in Edmonton. You'd be a wee bit more north. But then, you'd have fresh salmon... the only place in the world where fresh and frozen are synonymous... Well, Fairbanks is in the interior so not many salmon to be caught there, but when you have time you can come 500 miles south for world class salmon and halibut fishing. Fairbanks does have grayling (yum), trout, and other river and lake fish that make for good eating. I love Fairbanks and we are seriously considering moving (back, for me) in the next year if we can, but I was born there and still have quite a bit of family there. It does get very cold and dark in the winters, but love the long summer days. Great for camping with friends (even in south-central AK where we are now), and just enjoying the great outdoors. Maybe I'm part bear because I love the summer sun here, it energizes me and I don't miss the lost sleep. That's what winter is for.:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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