The BEST and WORST of life in rural Alaska

People often ask me the BEST thing about living in rural Alaska...

My number one answer? 

Being with my children.  

Finally, after two long years, becoming a stay-at-home mom, is hands down, the best part of being out here.  Homeschooling them, raising them as I see fit, and never having to leave them...  That's the BEST part about choosing to live out here.  Being here made that dream come true.

Moving out here has allowed Josh to provide for us, 

which strengthened our marriage and set his career off on a running start.

Let's be honest, another "BEST" out here is the money.  Josh makes remarkably more here than he would in the same position in Washington, which means we are able to pay down our debt, and set ourselves up for the future.  With three boys to put through college one day, we desperately need to eliminate our debt (both credit & student loans) so we can start saving!  The yearly Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD) that Alaskan residents receive for energy production in Alaska also helps.  Last year residents got $900 each.  Over a few years, that adds up!

(As an added bonus, living out here doesn't provide a lot of money-spending opportunities so long as you stay away from online shopping.  I rarely go to the co op, so most of the money manages to stay in our pockets!)

Of course, the "BEST" thing about living out here is the experience.  It can't be nailed down or quantified, but just is living rural Alaska.  Attending Eskimo dances, hunting for our own food, witnessing God's beautiful handiwork across the Arctic sky and playing in snow the likes of which most people never see.  It is the stuff of dreams.

... that said, I am also often asked what the WORST thing about living in rural Alaska is.

{Photo courtesy of Peter Werts}

One of the first things that flashes through my mind is the dump.  When they burn the dump, it often wafts to our house and we have to turn off our HVAC system.  The stink is also annoying occasionally when we're playing outside.

Another challenge about living out here is the isolation & loneliness.  I think that's why Saturday Social & Girls Nite are so important to me.  My friendships with people out here are invaluable and staying connected with friends and family back home is also vital.  

And the last thing that makes living in rural Alaska challenging is missing conveniences & people.  When the day has been long and I don't feel like cooking, I miss the ability to pick up a pizza for dinner.  When we've been stuck inside for weeks and we're tired of each others' company, I long for my mom or sister or best friend to be able to "drop by" and cheer me up.  

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Good or bad, I will admit that most times my daily life keeps me pretty busy & involved.  Some days I even forget where we are. Truly.  The majority of the time I am just a mom, raising three sons.  Wake, feed, wash & repeat.

I am always touched (and surprised really) when people tell me that what I do is amazing.  I don't always feel all that amazing.  I have my moments (like when we're all crawling into a 207 to fly over wild Alaska to our home in Marshall) where I think, "Wow. We're really doing this. We're really living this dream."  But there are other days when I am just praying for bedtime like every other mom on the planet.

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If you are considering moving to rural Alaska, please let me know.  I have been contacted three times now by different people looking for families relocating to Alaska for television shows.  I have promised to pass their information along to anyone interested!

Speaking of Alaska TV shows, 

I couldn't do an entire week on rural Alaska living without mentioning my personal favorites.

The Last Frontier
Gold Rush
Deadliest Catch
Yukon Men
Flying Wild Alaska
Buying Alaska
Living Alaska

*Every single one of those shows is on Discovery except for Living Alaska, which is on HGTV.

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I hope you have enjoyed my Rural Alaska Living Series this week.

Tomorrow concludes the series with Weather in rural Alaska.

Thanks for reading, 

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