10 Things to be aware of when moving to Alaska

Hello everyone,
It has been 5 months now since our move to Alaska and slowly but surely the moving honeymoon is ending. Slowly but surely there are things we realize are very different from living in the lower 48's and if you want to say it go ahead, we may have been "spoiled". Today's post is all about the 10 things to be aware of when moving to Alaska. All I am writing is from our personal experience and I will not sugar coat anything.

1. Moving in Winter- If you decide to make the move in Winter, make sure you pack a Winter Survival kit. It's one you have to pack yourself, and is also better to have a small version of in the Car when driving in Alaska in Winter. One of the main things you want to have in your Winter Survival Kit is a sleeping bag. There is nothing worse than being broken down on the side of the road in Winter with dropping temperatures. The main difference between being stuck on the road in Winter, in the lower 48's and Alaska is that it can actually kill you, if you are unprepared. If you would like to see a detailed list of a Winter Survival Kit, leave a comment down below and I will post it.

2. Moving in Winter P2 - Here is some advice from my husband. If you are not from the North, do not attempt on making this trip in Winter. The Al-Can has some really rough patches in the Rocky Mountains. He suggests taking the ferry out from Washington. ( My husband did the drive from Florida to Alaska in February due to our pets and car, which were either not safe to fly or cost a fortune to be shipped (Car)).

3. Cell Service- Google Maps and Cell service can be rather spotty, especially if you are leaving Urban Areas. Make sure to have physical maps with you or make sure you know the way 100%. You are lucky if your phone works up here. My husband was able to get an extension on his phone when we first got here. The same extension however did not work on mine. We wound up getting new phones with a local provider and even then the service doesn't work 100% where we live since it is a little out of town.

4. Alaska's size - In all honesty Texas still takes up part of my heart and I do miss it, however the saying everything is bigger in Texas or Texas is the largest state is simply not true. Alaska is in fact the largest state, it's bigger than Cali, Texas and Montana combined. So you will spend a decent bit on the road for sightseeing, traveling, hunting, and gold mining.

5. Shipping is a B*tch - Yes, I have heard many friends say Amazon prime is great. Yes, it is however it doesn't compensate all the affordable stores that either do not ship here or have an outrageous shipping rate of $15- $30. These rates also go up once you pass a Cart total of $30. This is also if you are lucky and the store actually ships up here. I had a number of frustrations when it came to ordering my daughters birthday gifts.

6. Alaskan Tax- Groceries, except from staple items, are around 25% more expensive. My husband and I call this the Alaskan Tax. Our Walmart has the cheapest prices around and the prices are what we like to call Publix prices. Publix in Florida always had a little higher prices than some other stores but here in Alaska, those higher Florida prices are now our lowest prices.Using the Savings catcher is not worth it because my millions of receipts have come up with no lower prices available. A great example I have for you is Swiffer Wet Jet I so desperately wanted costs around $24ish in the lower 48's the price we saw up here was over $50. Needless to say I did not get a Wet Jet.

7. Magic Winter/Summer Cycle- Despite popular believe we do not have 6 months of Day and 6 months of Night. While yes, it is rather dark in Winter and rather bright in Summer there is a generous period where the days or nights get longer/shorter. IF you are up north all the way in Barrow that works a bit different, the sun there really doesn't come up for a few months in winter and really doesn't go down in Summer.

8. Beware of Wildlife- Alaska is still a state where there is more wildlife entering Urban areas. Anchorage has been struggling this year with bears entering through windows. The difference is that the bears around Anchorage are used to people and are not afraid, we live about an hour away and outside of a small town. Our bears try to stay away from humans however, bears do come on the property and last year my uncle had a bear in our chicken coup. Moose frequently wonder our yard and a few weeks after we moved up here we were "locked" out of our property due to a Mama Moose with some babies but she wasn't the issue it was the Bull Moose who was trying to mate with Mama Moose. Those are the ones you have to look out for. Especially during mating season. Don't get me wrong you definitely don't want to come between a Mama and her baby because she will think you are trying to snatch her baby. Best bet is be loud and carry a large caliber rifle. Do not leave food laying around or hunting remains, all these invite bears right in.

9. Natives- DO NOT under any circumstance call natives Eskimos. You WILL NOT have a good time! It's a derogatory term and refrain from using it. Just don't do it.

Not everything is terrible here trust me. Alaska is a place where it doesn't quite feel like its the US. Scenery is stunning, wildlife is amazing, and it is really gorgeous but I told you all I was going to be honest through the change we are going through with this move. Here is a last point I want to share with you guys.

10. Aurora Borealis - No, the Northern lights look nothing like you see in pictures!! They are even better. So much more vibrant and they dance. The first time I saw one, last Winter, I cried. It was so beautiful and I couldn't believe that I was able to see one in person. It's hard to explain the beauty of it, because there are just no words for it.

I hope you guys enjoyed today's post. Like I said, this is our adventure and not everything is glamorous and it is indeed a culture shock.

XOXO, Nicole