moving to Rural Alaska
02-14-2013, 04:51 PM
#101
Super Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Pacific NW
Posts: 9,379
Originally Posted by JudeWill
I just looked this book up on Barnes & Noble. It sounds like something I would enjoy reading. They don't have it in ebook form & the cheapest they had was $73! Guess I will be looking at the library.
02-14-2013, 06:24 PM
#102
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: northern California
Posts: 1,098
You sound like a person who will love the adventure of living in the bush (or in the swamps) of Bethel. Enjoy all the different types of people you will meet. I would suggest that you get an LLBean catalog and buy some of the $15 socks because there will be times when you need them and all supplies will be much cheaper to get before you go. Don't forget Bunny Boots or whatever they call them now.! We wintered one year in Fairbanks and our biggest problem was seeing (we both wear glasses and they freeze or mist over quickly)! A wool scarf for your neck and face and a good wool cap for your head, long johns... wool, wool, wool! Maybe take old blankets (quilts) with you that you never really liked that much and won't mind leaving when you come back for good.
People are people all over the place and if you don't limit your "type" you will make lots of friends, from the simple, plain living natives (think of rural American farmers of a few decades ago) right on to the scientists, teachers, priests, etc... Alaska has lots of quilt stores (what else to do all winter?) but getting it brought in will cost, even if you find some good shops in Bethel.
Had to laugh when you said you were going to rural Alaska, because that essentially means "not Anchorage, which is only 30 minutes away from Alaska". I was offered a teaching job in Bethel and was really being wooed by a couple of priests until they found out my husband was a counselor for problemed youth... and I became chopped liver and they spent time trying to woo him. That was years ago and I suspect Bethel has reliable electricity now.
Don't neglect the advice about getting sun therapy in the winter! We met a gal who thought the people from her office in Fairbanks were discusting the way they ran outside at noon, opened their jackets and blouses at the top, threw their arms wide and stood in the street facing the few minutes of sunshine they could get... until she got so depressed her fellow workers forced her to participate and she realized it was a pagan ritual, but a matter of physical survival.
We took jobs in Asia, instead of Alaska, but we go there regularly because we have family there... we thought if we took jobs in Alaska we'd never move and we wanted to see more of the world. Can't be sorry, but still love Alaska!!! Enjoy the northern lights!!!!
People are people all over the place and if you don't limit your "type" you will make lots of friends, from the simple, plain living natives (think of rural American farmers of a few decades ago) right on to the scientists, teachers, priests, etc... Alaska has lots of quilt stores (what else to do all winter?) but getting it brought in will cost, even if you find some good shops in Bethel.
Had to laugh when you said you were going to rural Alaska, because that essentially means "not Anchorage, which is only 30 minutes away from Alaska". I was offered a teaching job in Bethel and was really being wooed by a couple of priests until they found out my husband was a counselor for problemed youth... and I became chopped liver and they spent time trying to woo him. That was years ago and I suspect Bethel has reliable electricity now.
Don't neglect the advice about getting sun therapy in the winter! We met a gal who thought the people from her office in Fairbanks were discusting the way they ran outside at noon, opened their jackets and blouses at the top, threw their arms wide and stood in the street facing the few minutes of sunshine they could get... until she got so depressed her fellow workers forced her to participate and she realized it was a pagan ritual, but a matter of physical survival.
We took jobs in Asia, instead of Alaska, but we go there regularly because we have family there... we thought if we took jobs in Alaska we'd never move and we wanted to see more of the world. Can't be sorry, but still love Alaska!!! Enjoy the northern lights!!!!
Last edited by Sierra; 02-14-2013 at 06:28 PM.
02-19-2013, 08:14 AM
#103
Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 62
Welcome to Alaska! Bethel definitely is something different, and quite an adventure. It sure is one of those 'once in a lifetime' kind of things that only so few of us have experienced.
I live in Anchorage area, and have been to Bethel a few times for work stuff. As an Alaskan village it is ok. I would take my quilting stuff with me if I were moving out there. There is not that much to do so you would probably get tons of quilts done while out there. Shipping of stuff can be a trouble since you have to rely on USPS solely, no UPS or Fedex available. So online orders will take a few extra days to get there but at least there is a post office and all in Bethel. Lots of people living out there do fly to Anchorage more or less frequently to do shopping since the local store has a pretty limited supply.
When ordering online, pay attention to the shipping rates. A few times I have been just rolling my eyes when the shipping charges to AK are almost as much as (or sometimes even more) than my whole purchase. Keepsake Quilting has been pretty good with online shipping.
I live in Anchorage area, and have been to Bethel a few times for work stuff. As an Alaskan village it is ok. I would take my quilting stuff with me if I were moving out there. There is not that much to do so you would probably get tons of quilts done while out there. Shipping of stuff can be a trouble since you have to rely on USPS solely, no UPS or Fedex available. So online orders will take a few extra days to get there but at least there is a post office and all in Bethel. Lots of people living out there do fly to Anchorage more or less frequently to do shopping since the local store has a pretty limited supply.
When ordering online, pay attention to the shipping rates. A few times I have been just rolling my eyes when the shipping charges to AK are almost as much as (or sometimes even more) than my whole purchase. Keepsake Quilting has been pretty good with online shipping.
02-25-2013, 10:50 AM
#105
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 683
Originally Posted by nygal
You are mistaken it is AK not AL.
Alabama AL Montana MT
Alaska AK Nebraska NE
Arizona AZ Nevada NV
Arkansas AR New Hampshire NH
California CA New Jersey NJ
Colorado CO New Mexico NM
Connecticut CT New York NY
Delaware DE North Carolina NC
Florida FL North Dakota ND
Georgia GA Ohio OH
Hawaii HI Oklahoma OK
Idaho ID Oregon OR
Illinois IL Pennsylvania PA
Indiana IN Rhode Island RI
Iowa IA South Carolina SC
Kansas KS South Dakota SD
Kentucky KY Tennessee TN
Louisiana LA Texas TX
Maine ME Utah UT
Maryland MD Vermont VT
Massachusetts MA Virginia VA
Michigan MI Washington WA
Minnesota MN West Virginia WV
Mississippi MS Wisconsin WI
Missouri MO Wyoming WY
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
JanetM
General Chit-Chat (non-quilting talk)
6
08-22-2011 01:06 PM
