How to Live In & Love Alaska

Alaska, the Land of Opportunity: Easy to Love. Here's how.

Things You'll Need

• A job
• Window black-outs for summers
• a sense of adventure
• independence
• I.D.
• an open mind
• an appreciation for small towns

Instructions

1. People come to Alaska to make money, because it's possible here. Or they're running away, or they are nature lovers, or they have heard of the Permanent Fund.
   It's easy to live in Alaska if you know that it's expensive, but not that much more expensive than the lower 48. It's cold, but not much colder than, say, Michigan. It's far away and it's huge, but if your family is with you, that's not so bad, and if they aren't, they will visit. Everyone wants to go to Alaska.

2. Definately a job is vital. But contrary to most opinions, you don't need a ton of money to survive in Alaska. Once there, your friends and neighbors, and people you barely know, will give you fish & moose meat. You can freeze your wild caught salmon and meat and buy or grow the rest. Once you are in Alaska for a year, provable by a tax return or an airplane ticket receipt, you will be eligible for the Permanent Dividend Fund. This will pay you to live in Alaska directly from the oil revenues. Every man, woman and child regardless of age or circumstances will receive this.

3. There are 2 main problems with Alaska: #1-is winter darkness, and #2-summer light. Because of the curve of the earth and how the sun comes in, the winter cold is nothing compared to the dark, and in the summer it's hard to sleep when it's light at 3 a.m. Window black-out shades take care of the summer problem. In the winter, full spectrum lighting and the money to go to Hawaii (a 4 hr. flight) for 2 weeks in January go a long way.

4. Moose are everywhere. They come into the yard, they wander through the streets. Tourists like to stop and take their pictures. It's a great idea to stay away from them. Moose are stupid and they look slow but they are not slow. They can run. If one charges you, get behind a tree. They will forget you are there.

   In the summer, black bears sometimes wander into the yard. If a bear is after you, either out-run him, or forget it. Sometimes, screaming really loud is an effective way to scare the bear away. He is also afraid of you.

5. One spectacular way to love Alaska is to grow plants. In the summer, the light is amazing, and you can have an amazing and productive garden. If you can afford a green house, it's a great way to expand the growing season.

6. 

   The best way to live in Alaska is to have a beautiful, heartbreaking view. Every day you can wake up, look out of your window, and be thankful you are alive. There are a lot of opportunities to do this in Alaska.

7. Take the opportunity to travel. The state is as big as half of the lower 48. The Kenai River has a color never seen on earth before. Homer is the most beautiful town. Girdwood has the best skiing. Summer may be tourist season, when huge RV's cover the highways, but any time of the year is the best time of year to be in Alaska.

Tips & Warnings

• Romantic getaways include a bear lodge for adults only

• Dinner at The 5 Glacier Restaurant in Girdwood is a high point, literally

• Anchorage boasts big city amenities with a small town attitude