Alaskan Misconceptions

Hello all, 

It has now almost been 5 months since we moved from Florida to Alaska. There have been a whole lot of things people have said to me when we announced our move. 

I would like to go through this and answer whether or not these misconceptions are actually true or not. I want to stress the point that all of the points I will mention are points that have truly been told to me. As absurd as some of them may are I had to listen to people letting these out of their mouth.

1) It's always cold- Well the Winters are cold, but it depends on where you live to really see how cold it gets. Also it is now June and I am sweating, yes it isn't as hot and miserable as Florida and the highest we had it was 80 F but it is still hot compared to the rest of the year. So don't be fooled, we still get to wear shorts, tanks, and T-shirts.

2) It's always so dark- Well nope, it's actually rather bright at the moment, the sun doesn't completely set at the moment anymore. Meaning sunset is around 1am ish and the rest of the night it's dusky until it's sunrise time. So no, it isn't always dark. Winter yes, it gets darker much faster but there is still some daylight where we live.

3) Doesn't everyone live in an Igloo - I don't know if I should even bother with this one because it is just so ignorant! 

4) Isn't everyone up there an alcoholic?- How about no. People tend to be super ignorant simply because they don't want to educate themselves. I highly believe you shouldn't judge a state or the people living there, if you have never been there. So clearly the answer to that is no, not everyone is an alcoholic. I think I have seen more alcoholics during my time in Florida than I have so far here in Alaska. 

Here is the last one that is coming to my mind as I am writing this. 

5) Aren't all people depressed up there? - The answer to this is also No, not everyone is depressed. While in the winter months the likelihood of the Winter blues is rather high since the daylight is so little, you can and should use Vitamin D Supplements to get enough Vitamin D. Also, I want to say that I suffer from depression and I have suffered from it before I even moved here. Again, Mental Health has really not much to do with the state you live in. 

If you feel down, feel free to seek a counselor! There is absolutely nothing wrong with seeing someone, often times we need someone neutral to talk to or get an unbiased opinion.

If you are a Veteran please contact your local VA or call this hotline : 1-800-273-8255

I also believe that they have an online chat option if that is something you would rather do. 

Depression is a topic I don't take lightly and I wish people wouldn't just through it out so lightly as if it was nothing. People need to stop judging others, need to stop judging states. People need to educate themselves to make educated sentences as these are some of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard. Small minded people live in a complete different world and it is wrong. 

Before you make assumptions about a state, town, or country do your research and don't be ignorant! 

Have you ever heard some ridiculous misconceptions about the state or city you live in? Leave a comment down below!