Welcome To Alaska: The land of churches, coffee huts and Jazzercise

I’m a third generation Alaskan - sort of. My mother was born and raised in Angoon, a small Tlingit village between Juneau and Sitka. After getting married and having a few kids, she moved to the East Coast where I was born.

As a teenager, I spent my summers in Angoon with my grandparents. Those were magical years filled with door-less outhouses, bear encounters that wouldn’t have happened if I had been smarter and halibut which weighed more than I did.

Most of my life, I dreamed of moving to Alaska. My husband, who has an unhealthy addiction to fishing, shared that vision. We put it off, worried that Alaska wouldn’t meet our children’s unique educational and medical needs.

After seven torturous summers in Las Vegas where temperatures topped 115 degrees and homeless people went to sleep in the heat and didn’t wake up, we sold our house, quit our jobs and headed north.

As I approach the end of my first full year in Alaska, it feels like I’ve accomplished something important.

Here’s what I’ve learned so far:

1. There are more churches, coffee stands and Jazzercise studios than actual people.

2. Don’t wash fishing clothes with regular clothes. Ever.

3. Keep chicken feed in the garage. Some years have more bears than others.

4. One in four packages will arrive looking like a bear sat on it.

5. Amazon Prime will ship a mattress but might refuse to ship a small toy.

6. “Going Outside” means leaving Alaska, not stepping into the yard.

7. If you get stuck in a ditch at least two people will stop to help.

8. Budget for winter heating, which can extend into June.

9. Don’t miss the Alaska State Fair.

10. Get used to guns.

11. Become accustomed to the smell of marijuana.

12. The North Slope is not a ski resort.

13. Budget extra time when talking to a Lower 48 call center. As soon as the representative hears you’re from Alaska, there will be questions. Lots of questions.

I don’t mind No. 13. All of a sudden I become an ambassador for this great state. Agents make queries such as: “Don’t you have darkness all year long?” or “Don’t you have light all year long?” or “How do you get your groceries?”

Today an agent asked, “Aren’t you afraid you’re going to get eaten by a bear?” (Not usually, but this summer has been a little intense.)

I sense the same excitement we felt as we contemplated the wonders of this extraordinary location.

My husband and I sacrificed to get here. We gave up proximity to family, higher paying jobs, a bigger house and most of our possessions. But we gained much in return - a home surrounded by trees, ten minutes to fishing and hiking, wildlife in our driveway and friendly neighbors. (Here, a drive-by means someone slows down as they pass a moose.) We have no regrets. And by the way, Alaska’s medical and education services are just fine.