I have to call “Bull Butter” on an article I read today
titled “29 Things You Learn Living in Alaska”.
http://www.movoto.com/blog/opinions/things-you-learn-living-in-alaska/
This is a piece that appears to be written by someone who gleaned
their facts from Wikipedia but does not appear to be someone who has actually
been to Alaska let alone live here. Some
of the facts are very generalized but given as absolutes (like everyone loves
reindeer meat). As someone who does live here, these are the errors
that irked me. I moved to Alaska almost 4 years ago from
Seattle to take care of my Father but Alaska has become my home. The pictures posted here are actually taken
in Alaska by me.
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#5: They are not snow mobiles, they are snow
machines and ones goes snow machining.
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#6: One does not get paid to live in Alaska. One
receives funds from the Permanent Dividend Fund (PFD) if you are a permanent resident in
Alaska. The residency requirements are
quite strict on who gets paid.
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#7: Not sure that duct tape is used more in
Alaska than it is in the Lower 48. I
have seen some pretty “duct tapey” stuff in Oklahoma & Arkansas.
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#8: Partly true, but I wouldn’t go as far to say
that dog sledding is the most popular sport in Alaska. Maybe the most popular spectator sport but think
fishing, hunting and hiking would rank much higher as a “sport”.
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#9: Just because we live in Alaska doesn’t mean
the cost of crabs and other seafood is cheaper.
It is not.
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#12: Not everyone knows what to do in the event
of a bear confrontation. We may know
bear proof trashcans are supposed to be used but not everyone does or else we
would not have bears actively hunting for food in residential neighborhoods.
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#18: Not everyone loves reindeer meat.
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#19: Not everyone loves espresso. In fact, not everyone loves coffee. We do have a large number of standalone coffee
stands whose names do not include the word “Espresso”.
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#21: In Anchorage, I find the cost of living
with the exception of housing, to be in line with the cost of living in
Seattle. That said, it is
extraordinarily expensive to live in the Bush which is Alaska’s term for folks living
outside of one of the larger cities.
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#26: Yes, lots of fresh air however, the winter air
in Fairbanks has one of the highest rates of pollutants and carcinogens due to
all of the wood burning stoves. Anchorage
sits in a bowl so smoke from fires in surrounding areas makes it a health
hazard to be outside. Alaska also has a
very high asthma rate.
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#28: No,
not in any way, shape or form, does everyone who lives here lead a very active
lifestyle. And wintertime is certainly very
conducive to sitting on the couch and watching TV as demonstrated by the size
of my big ass.
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| Road between Glenallen & Anchorage/November 2010 |
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| Plane landing at Merrill Field/Fall 2012 |
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| Spring 2012 |
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| Moose in the parking lot/Winter 2012 |
