When we think back our time in Alaska, we summarize our feelings about it into the statement, “Either go there for vacation, or move there.”. Alaska was a difficult spot for us to be in between in. We spent almost six months there, too long to be just a tourist, but too short of a time to truly become integrated into the area. We found that many of the most Alaskan experiences required very specific tools or toys. Each activity had its own set of items required for it and many of them were costly to buy and also expensive to rent. We enjoyed our time in Alaska and both agree it was a very unique experience and would love to go back as tourists with a few specific activities we planned to spent money on.

The Alaskan culture is also tight knit. We found the people we met to be friendly, but there are so many tourists in the large cities that if feels more difficult to become very involved, especially when the people you meet there know you will be leaving in a few months. We attended several churches while in Alaska and met some great friend there, but those friends were all fairly new transplants to the area. I also found one of the largest travel nurse communities I’ve ever seen while in Alaska. Alaska has a very transient working population, especially in the medical field and finding these groups through fb allowed us to meet some pretty cool people and join in on a really fun midnight Summer Solstice hike!

We were both surprised with how large the homeless population is in the large cities. You would think an area that can get so cold would have very few homeless, but in the summer months they crowd the cities en mass. There are many socioeconomic issues that contribute to this and stem from years of issues between the native people and government funding. While this can lead to a lot of great outreach opportunities it also makes Anchorage a high crime area. After having lived in Anchorage and having seen the surrounding areas, I think we would have looked for housing in the more remote cities of Palmer and Wasilla if we could go back and do things differently. That being said, there are great public access areas scattered all throughout Alaska and even in the major city areas you can still find beautiful spots to hike and explore.

Speaking of hiking. The spots to explore in Alaska are endless, we hiked in a new location almost every other weekend and never ran out of new spots even after 5 months! Then winter comes and even your familiar hiking spots look totally new! I think we could spend a lifetime exploring there and not grow tired of it. From fishing and hunting to winter and summer spots, and endless hiking spots, there’s always something to do there. The culture there is also different from the southern culture we were used to which puts heavy priority on work. Alaskans work hard and play hard, in the summer months we learned that employers try to get their workers extra time off to be with family and enjoy the sunshine understanding that there’s plenty of time to make up work when the cold and dark are back again. People frequently take large amounts of time off in the summer to enjoy the long days and great temperatures.

There are things you will see in Alaska that are unlike anything you can find in the rest of the USA. Up there bald eagles are called “harbor pigeons” by some of the locals. This is because they are so common that these majestic birds almost become a nuisance. We also spotted moose frequently and saw multiple large bears in and around the city. The landscapes change from the massive stretches of beach that make up Kincaid Park to the rolling mountains by the Turnagain Arm. The scenery is beautiful and everything seems to be on a more massive scale than is typically found.

I would answer my own question by saying, go visit!! I think Alaska is a place that everyone should see at least once! We look back on our time there and are grateful for what we did experience, but also wishing that we could have done more. One day we plan to go back as tourists, but I cannot forsee us moving there again. It was a once in a lifetime experience, and I’m glad we had the opportunity to be Alaskans for a little while.