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Looking at a few different opportunities here and my wife also said she would consider AK. I have been begging since we last visited. I am a Manufacturing Ops Manager in a Next Gen Solar Pilot with experience in the kitchen and bath industry and paper mills. My wife is a Plant Biologist who is thinking of getting into teaching. I could contact a head hunter but I am not sure there are any in AK. I have read that there is a need for teachers in AK. I guess I could be a professional schlepp and hang out in the woods all the time but not sure that would pay the bills:)

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Ak is a wonderful place. Lots of job ops there. You may not find anything in your specialty but I would flip burgers if it paid enough just to live there

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Not even sure which area to look yet. Just getting started. I have read that they need teachers pretty bad in some of the more remote areas. My wife should be able to find something but I have a Manufacturing background so might not be a lot there for me.

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It's tough breaking into a new field, some how I managed to get hired on to a small fire protection company even though my background was in manufacturing.

There are some head hunters in the oil and gas industry, but typically they are looking for people with extensive experience in the industry. You might want to contact some of the firms that provide contractors such as Taylor Technical. I think in the next year or two there is going to be an upswing in engineering and when their is a boom cycle it's much easier to get hired when you don't have years of experience in the oil industry.

The housing market is pretty strong right now, the biggest problem is lack of inventory but at least in Anchorage that is paired with the problem of very little land left to build on.

I think the teaching market has gotten more competitive, but not to say there aren't some jobs out there if you're willing to live in the bush for a few years. On the flip side with Anchorage laying off teachers due to budget cuts it'll probably be a challenge getting a position on the road system.

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I am ok living in the bush but I imagine I won't be able to find work in the bush unless it is logging etc. I am just not sure right now. I am 32 and have a lot of runway where I am. I really want to live off grid but with 3 small children is that realistic and sustainable or will we be dirt floor poor? If I did not have children I would take a few rifles and the wife and be there already. She could teach and I could roam.

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The other option is to continue to visit there and when the kids are grown in 16 years for the little one just move there then. By then I am sure the population will be much higher but maybe not.

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The teaching positions I had heard about where in the bush.

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I would be thrilled just working for the state dealing with nuisance animals or trapping etc. I grew up in a very remote part of the Berkshires and loved every minute of it.

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I highly recommend raising your kids in Alaska if at all possible. Like anywhere there are good and bad things, but I can't think of a better place to raise kids.

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The way I see it is you can find a million reasons not to do it. If you really want it then do it. It won't be easy, but nothing worth doing is easy.


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I am looking for areas to look at mostly. I am just getting started looking and not sure which areas to even consider.

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Sorry, We're Closed.


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Originally Posted by gremcat
I am looking for areas to look at mostly. I am just getting started looking and not sure which areas to even consider.


Your wifes job will dictate that and then its on you to make it work on your end. We could sit here and list 100's of places but if there isn't work for her its just a waste of time. Sorry but to me you sound like your kicking the tires. If there is a will, there is a way.


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^


what he said


I'd think bush living would be great for a while, teachers are needed in the bush, but that's her job. your job out there will be to do whatever you can. Not going to find much in your fields of expertise.

but once you get your foot in the door, embrace the community and lifestyle, it seems opps turn up. OTOH it ain't like what you see on TV, if you can't/won't embrace the culture differences, lifestyle differences etc. it could be a miserable experience.


I'm pretty certain when we sing our anthem and mention the land of the free, the original intent didn't mean cell phones, food stamps and birth control.
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I don't watch much tv and to be honest wouldn't believe what I saw. Kicking the tires is a good way to put it. I have heard that living in Fairbanks is not as good as other areas etc. Maybe this is harder than I am thinking. I am thinking she would have a few places to look at and thus some choices or places to narrow our search. Like I said if it was the lower 48 we could just call a head hunter. I am on a pretty good path right now but AK is beautiful and I am just trying to figure out where most people live and why. I am sure I would be giving up the idea of retirement in my future but for the opportunity I am willing to make that sacrifice. It is a bit overwhelming to think about selling everything and making the jump. I want to make sure we are making the right choices. Not much going back if you wind up in the wrong place. I am used to remote living but that was when I was younger and didn't have a family. I am not asking for the keys to the city. I am just trying to wrap my brain around how people make it work and if I can set us up to be successful there by doing a little research great.

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I also want to be able to be fishing or stomping in the woods relatively easily. If she gets a job in an area where that is difficult it kind of defeats the purpose.

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I am also sure we could work flipping burgers and make it work but that would not be ideal. Maybe a few more trips up there to get a better handle on some of the areas would be best.

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Narrow your search and take a visit in the dead of winter.

Asking about working in AK is like a foreigner asking where's a good place to move to in the US.

It's that big.


If you take the time it takes, it takes less time.
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Not sure if there are kids in Elfin cove anymore but if so that might be an option for her. Or look at Hoonah, Angoon, Pelican, and Gustavus. There you could deckhand fairly easy if you don't get seasick and are a hard worker. That would take care of spring, summer, and fall. Trap in the winter. You need to be creative and think outside the box. Anyone advising you to flip burgers is out of their mind. You don't move to AK to flip [bleep] burgers.

I can only help you with the areas I know. Alaska is a BIG AZZ state. There is plenty of work there for a guy willing to work hard and start at the bottom.

Good Luck leave the tires alone and hit the road to AK.


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was hopin Mark/Kliktarik would chime in.

Believe he's finally gonna retire from his teaching gig and they were looking for someone to replace him.

though those are apt to be big shoes to fill.


but from my perspective he's a guy that made the transition very successfully


course he's the type of guy that would fit in anywhere, heckuva good guy.


and gemcat, you're absolutely correct that FBKS ain't what you're looking for.

it's changed, lots more conveniences, shopping choices, better prices etc. than old FBKS

but man I miss that place, I'd happily pick through the lettuce at Lindy's just to have that place again.

we're looking to buy a house near a smaller town in AK PDQ

Fairbanks is a nice place to visit maybe 6-12 times a year.

but it ain't AK anymore, we even have lil Anchorage on the North Side now....despicable


I'm pretty certain when we sing our anthem and mention the land of the free, the original intent didn't mean cell phones, food stamps and birth control.
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Being on my third or fourth visit to Alaska (sitting between GlennAllen and Tok right now), I suspect that most people from outside don't understand the time and expense necessary to access the terrific hunting and fishing up here. You simply don't walk out your back door and hunt moose, caribou, deer sheep and all the rest. Moose hunting might be 100 miles away in one direction and you might need a boat or four wheeler when you get there. Salmon fishing might be 100 miles in another direction, and deer twice as far.
Just an outsiders thoughts.

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Originally Posted by stevelyn
Sorry, We're Closed.


Good one!


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Originally Posted by 2legit2quit
was hopin Mark/Kliktarik would chime in.

Believe he's finally gonna retire from his teaching gig ........



I reckon I probably would have if we hadn't finally gone to camp to put up a few chums......this after finally giving up on waiting for my wife to be called to work locally. She has been going to school at UAF this past year and wanted to drive truck this summer on a local road revision project. They needed drivers who are clean and have CDLs so she stayed a couple of extra weeks (in Fairbanks) to get the documentation. Turns out they don't seem to want to hire her though even though they indicated her licensing is exactly what they wanted and better than some. It's a local hire preference type job and tribal enrolled people have even more preference. She is both tribally enrolled and a local shareholder. Oh, there's a political element as well which seems to be the stumbling block.

The long and short of which is to say that there are considerations to be aware of in working in the smaller communities in Alaska. It may and can work out well for you. If you 'sunburn' you may find yourself feeling slighted from time to time; doesn't mean you can't toughen your skin a bit and forge ahead. A**H**** tend to seem bigger and larger in number than they are generally.

2L2Q's comments about the terminal nature of my employment is true; the rest is total BluuSiht but might be overlooked (through a beer glass smile ). I spent 29 years working in two villages in the same school district and have no regrets. Lots of challenges; even more rewards. I have to admit though that the time I have spent in Fairbanks sure seems like a vacation to me. (The stores actually have a selection of things - and food is cheap! grin ) And you can buy beer there too!!!

Let me add this perspective from the past week: our toilet has never really worked right. On the bright side we do have toilets; that beats the buckets that we used for many years - and some still do. The system used in this town is a vacuum system. IT sucks - in more ways than the obvious. You can't go down to Home Depot and buy a different toilet if your's doesn't work right. You have to use a system approved type. They are complicated and expensive. We decided to upgrade and get new guts for the toilet we have: $400 for that - but at least we have a reason to pay the $190/mo sewer/water bill.

Second deal for the week: washing machine ....HE front loader...couple years since purchase but installed and put into service 7 months ago. It decided to puke its electronics in mid-cycle. Maytag was supposed to be a good name so I wasn't worried calling their service line. Grabbed my cell phone - (I arrived the same year that phones: land lines- became available to anyone with a wall on which to attach a phone jack). I called Maytag and got dropped after about 15 minutes on hold. Called back and waited another 20 minutes; talked to a nice lady who wanted to set up an appointment for a service call. I said I wanted to talk to a tech. She said - "No- they'll have to come and look at it". I said "so you're telling me I have to buy a new machine?" She says "No- you set up an appointment; we'll send out a tech; what is your address?"

"Okay" say I and we went through the whole deal. Then I told her to have the guy fly with RavnAlaska since that is the cheapest way from Anchorage at only $630 RT. I said "It looks like this is going to cost me $1000 easily; I should just buy a new machine like I first said." She says "It looks like we can't really help you out there. Is there any thing else?" I said "Yeah give me the name of someone who can help me....someone who isn't a Maytag person." So she wanted to give me a name of someone closer. She ended up using the yellow pages I am quite sure - in Anchorage.

Be aware that this is how things work out here. The nice thing is that dealers in Alaska tend to be very helpful over the phone and patient in walking people through problems with various stuff. (They do like it if you are talking about an item you purchased from them however. smile ) (I have earned the equivalent of a second collegiate degree in the knowledge I have acquired through phone calls with Alaska dealers BTW.)

Bush Alaska is not some place easily defined by some romanticized notions but it is a great place in so many ways. If you welcome challenges, like alternatives to the usual rat-race, and enjoy rewards that can't be easily quantified in financial terms, then a bush situation might be for you. Do some homework. There are plenty of opportunities and if one doesn't pan out for you, there are going to be others.

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Thanks a lot most helpful. I admit I have been spoiled here with Home Depot right next door but in the past we didn't have any hardware stores and getting supplies was tough. For some reason things back then either where made better or we where to broke to have the nicer things that seem more fragile. I didn't know what a dishwasher was until my early twenties. I seem to thrive in a challenging environment. When we came to NC I took a job as an installer at a granite company. Within two years I was the Ops Manager and had added two divisions and tapped us into a whole new market with no construction experience. I then remodeled my whole house pretty much solo. Then I joined a Solar company as a tech with no electrical engineering experience and am now the Man. Ops Manager and also the Quality/Change Control PM. I always tell people right place at the right time. I could grow with my company but to be honest get sick of the rat race and everyone believing they don't own enough stuff. I am sure it exists everywhere but I want to raise my kids someplace with different hardships like I grew up with.

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I don't mean any disrespect to those living in the bush, but to give someone from the lower 48 a perspective, it is more akin to living in remote parts of the developing world than any part of the lower 48, but with a very high cost of living due to the remote nature and expense of shipping in everything via small plane or seasonally on a barge.

It's hard to say what part of the state is best because there are so many pluses and minuses of each location. If you're on the road system you'll be able to get pretty much anything you can in the lower 48 and by Alaskan standards reasonably priced. You'll be able to access a vast portion of the state, but so can everyone else on the road system and those visiting in their RV's.

If you're off the road system in an area not visited by cruise ships you'll have a totally different experience and life style. There are good and bad things about small communities. It will take years before you'll be considered anything other than a visitor and you will never be truly accepted as a local.

As far as a hunting and fishing paradise, if you have the time and the money it can be incredible. If you lack one or the other or both then it's nothing like what you read about in hunting magazines. Fishing can still be outstanding, but our game densities are very low and there is a lot of competition for what game there is. Odds are you'll have to put a fair bit of time to connect with big game.

What you get out of an Alaskan experience is exactly what you put into it. IMHO Anchorage or the Mat-su can be an excellent place to plant roots as you'll have the broadest opportunity for employment, and Alaska can be right outside your door, or a short drive away. The downside is you can fall into the rat race and wonder how all these people have $100+k tied up in "toys" aka boats, 4 wheelers and snowmachines to access hunting and fishing. The answer is a combination of some people make really high salaries, some get into crazy debt for their toys, and some have been accumulating them for 20+ years.

You can have some uniquely Alaskan experiences with your kids amongst the hoards

[Linked Image]

Wilderness experiences just at the fringe of the cities

[Linked Image]

Or with a boat access areas where you can really get away from it all

[Linked Image]

If you do take the plunge, wherever you land make sure you and your wife will give it two years before you assess whether or not its for you. It'll take at least that long to give any place a fair shake.

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I have been thinking the same thing lately 458. I am thinking in the remote areas we won't make enough to enjoy the area like we want. If we land some where we can make more we can be close for taking trips. I didn't realize it was that hard to hunt in the bush areas to be honest. Where I am from you can hunt bears in your front yard or deer for that matter. I put a lot of effort in here since my hunting spots are an hour from me and the season is 4 months long but baiting is legal and most do bait. Which means you need to bait as well or have the game leave your land. I am really missing when things where simpler though. I am starting to think Anchorage or similar will give me the best of both worlds. Depending on the next few months we may come up for a visit for a few weeks. I usually move somewhere for 5-6 years before moving somewhere else and in doing so have realized it takes time to discover what an area can offer.

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Anchorage is a great jumping off area for more remote areas of Alaska if you find that's what you're after. Actually there is some good hunting right outside of Anchorage, but it's in non motorized areas. If you're willing to hump it into the mountains you can go after moose and bears or sheep if you draw a tag.

We've been here 17 years and I feel I'm still just scratching the surface. Four weeks of vacation a year isn't nearly enough.

We visited twice before moving up. I wanted to move before the plane touched down on the first trip, took us three years to make it happen.

There is a world of difference between visiting and living in a place, but if the trip grabs your heart, you'll find a way to make it work.

There are many places you can hunt out your back door, but many of those hunts equate to armed hikes. You simply have to put your time in to connect with game, and coordinating your free time with hunting season can be tough.

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I have been lucky in that regard timing has been good for hunting. I know when we where in Ketchikan last year the fishing guide said Hunting season and Fishing season where at the same time and he hadn't hunted in years because he was only a captain when they needed him and they needed him during that time of year. It would be terrible to be in a beautiful place like AK and be to broke to enjoy it.

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Originally Posted by 458 Lott


It's hard to say what part of the state is best because there are so many pluses and minuses of each location.

......................................


If you do take the plunge, wherever you land make sure you and your wife will give it two years before you assess whether or not its for you. It'll take at least that long to give any place a fair shake.


Excellent summary thoughts ........


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Originally Posted by 458 Lott
It will take years before you'll be considered anything other than a visitor and you will never be truly accepted as a local.


I call Bullchit on that. Sure if your an azzhole maybe. Funny I have heard these very words from people when I lived in Hawaii, Louisiana, and Alabama. Never was the case in any of the places.

In my opinion you will have better chances at making it work in Southeast AK. Unless you want a 9 to 5 job. If you make it two or three years deckhanding you should be able to get a permit and boat no problem. It isn't rocket science just hard work.


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I would certainly stand by what Paul stated as being spot on in a great many parts of rural Alaska (and often outstates as well). That doesn't make it a hard fast rule in every small place but even the nicest folks - heck, even relatives- are sometimes reminded that they "aren't from here" in some of the many remote parts of the state. That doesn't mean that you can't fit in but there will always be situations....


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Village's and Natives sure. But AK as a whole not even close. The majority of people living in Alaska are from someplace else.


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My comment was specific to those smaller communities, and if you'd quoted the entire paragraph it should have been clear that was my intent.

It is a fact one best not ignore that it can take a long time to be accepted in small communities, and in some areas you will never be fully accepted by the community. You can be the nicest person in the world and it still isn't going to happen. Even if you're not an a-hole, you might be in a location filled with a-holes.




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Originally Posted by 458 Lott
My comment was specific to those smaller communities, and if you'd quoted the entire paragraph it should have been clear that was my intent.


How I quoted you doesn't change anything. Not all AK communities are native. Sure some are harder to manage then others but that blanket statement is BS. But you are entitled to your own opinion.

To the OP If your wife is a teacher she shouldn't have a hard time at all finding a Job in SE Alaska. The pay is good for the area. If you want to find a 9 to 5 job then you better stick to the cities. If you really want to live in Alaska it is very easily doable. Hunting and fishing in SE AK is great. Plenty of deer, black bear, brown bear, goats, and small game. All the fresh and saltwater fishing you want. Depending on the area trapping is anywhere from good to great. In my opinion a boat is mandatory at a minimum a 18' to 20' skiff.


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Alaska as a whole has fewer than 30 census communities with populations greater than 1000 - over 100 with less than that. I guess it depends on what your definition of "Alaska" is. If Anchorage, Juneau, and Fairbanks cover that definition, then you could be right....perhaps.


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Originally Posted by 458 Lott

It is a fact one best not ignore that it can take a long time to be accepted in small communities, and in some areas you will never be fully accepted by the community. You can be the nicest person in the world and it still isn't going to happen. Even if you're not an a-hole, you might be in a location filled with a-holes.

You might be the "guy from 'there' " for a very long time.


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Can't be any worse than being a yankee in the south. It took some time but my friends mom told him se was thinking of putting me in the will and taking him out and she would if he called me a damn yankee again.I have big shoulders and can get along with about anyone even the #$&holes:)

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smile


If you take the time it takes, it takes less time.
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I lived in Alaska for about 35 years before we moved out about 15 months ago.
Our son was born there and I couldn't think of a better place to raise children.
But, and this is a huge but, it is very very expensive to live there and buy the toys to enjoy the hunting and fishing. Just the general cost of living around Anchorage is about 30-40% higher than what it is in Colorado. Housing and utilities are off the charts. The bush is even worse. I tell you this only so you can have an idea of the money required to make the move and enjoy what Alaska has to offer.


My biggest fear is when I die my wife will sell my guns for what I told her they cost.
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Try the on-line job sites for specific communities you might be interested in moving to. There are a surprising number of jobs available in rural communities if you are a warm body, reliable, and have a work ethic. Northwest Arctic and North Slope have a lot of them- just maybe not "premium" jobs. and some specific-skill jobs, as well.

My wife un-retired herself (she bores easily) for the second time and took a School District Admin job here in Kotzebue, moving up from our permanent home on the Kenai in June 2010.. So I retired, and came up in August for the hunting and fishing ops (which so far in my opinion have been very sadly neglected - I'm only giving away about 75% of my catches,,, if I had more time available, I'd shoot for plus 90... smile ). For an anti-social SOB, I have way too many relatives and friends who like free/ almost free (to hem) wild meat and fish...

But she insisted I find a job. I applied for a dozen or so, landed one at the local liquor store @ $20/hr but she convinced me I was to have no part of that- much of which effects she has to deal with in her job, Still, 20% off on employee purchases..... smile

I was shortly thereafter accepted for a 20 hour per week job with Alaska Airlines @ $15/hr. starting. And bennies. Perfect. In theory. ( I'm up to $20/hr now. Not great. Barely livable for one person here if it is one person's sole income. But there are bennies...)

I moved here in mid August after tying up loose ends, spent part of every day on the computer and filling out forms, walking the dog, bullshitting with locals, picked blueberries, slept in, killed a moose in late September up the Noatak, but was unfortunately employed by mid-October... It's been downhill from there.....

They lied about the hours.. For the next 2 years I worked 40 to 80 hours a week what with call outs for "called in sick" - often from camp , vacations, short staffing, and arranged work trades, sometimes for 6 weeks at a time without a day off. FINALLY I got on full time at 40 hrs per week... That is still hard on the hunting and fishing time... But I am getting more sleep. smile

We came here with a plan to stay 1 to 3 years, on my wife's year-at-a-time contract (they tried to get her to sign a 3 year contract last year. NFW!) We are now going into our 5th year. We might have psychological issues... smile Our house down on the Kenai is feeling ( and showing) a bit neglected... even with working visits every few weeks. (If you think you own a house, you have it bass-ackwards!). I'm gonna re- retire there sometime in the next few years...

5 months after jumping thru all the hoops for Homeland Security ("you are done, we'll call you"....) when I was job-applying in Kotzebue, they FINALLY contacted me to ask me if I was still interested in a TSA job at the OTZ terminal... UH, NO - I have a much better deal going with the airline... smile

Not that I mind searching through women's under wear....

TSA is still looking for locals, or not, to staff here - all dozen or so of our TSA agents are 90-day contract imports from elsewhere. Some last as much as 3 years, others are gone after the initial 3 months.

Just a sample of out-of-the-box/ not-in-my-field opportunities if you ain't picky and maybe riding the wife's coattails... smile Or vice versa. Kotzebue is a hub for a dozen other, smaller villages, most of whom are advertising for homecare, custodial, teacher's aides, and other not so premium jobs on a regular basis. If one of you has a survivalist-level job say as a teacher, these lesser paying jobs are do-able.

You ain't gonna get rich in anything but life-experience.

This is my third multi-year byway into the Arctic since 1973. It's addicting. Wouldn't have missed it for the world.





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Thanks Las, she is thinking SE Alaska still and not a completely remote bush village. I am still working on her. This morning on my hour long drive to work I was contemplating something. I have experience in electrical assembly and repair ( chips,boards, etc.) I also have a few friends that do SS welding hanging from a crane and one that owns a machine shop that specializes in all types of metal work. Couple that with my other experience I wonder if I could get on with a gas/oil company doing repair work. I imagine it is a little rough if they fly you somewhere for a few weeks and your away form the family but I am wondering if the pay would be better. I have reinvented myself a few times over already. I am also certain we will never be able to retire no matter how much we make. Three kids are expensive and I am too much of a busy body to slow down so. I will start trying to figure out which companies in the oil industry to look at and where she could get a biologist or teaching job. We both love Ketchikan and maybe if we can get there and stay for a few years we can explore other parts of AK.

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The advantage of getting a slope job is you can live anywhere in the state. The tough part is unless you have direct oil field experience and/or know someone in the industry it's very tough to break in. The best suggestion to gain that experience is to try and get on in the gulf, or head to North Dakota and bust your butt getting oil field experience.

Most oilfield workers don't work for the oil companies, they are contractors. It sounds like you'd be a good fit as an instrument tech, so I'd suggest looking at CH2MHill, ASRC, Nana and Udelhoven to see if they have any tech jobs listed. Getting an associates degree in that field is also highly recomended. Oil field jobs tend to pay quite well, but being away from the family for roughly half the year can be rough on the family. Many people make it work, and you get half the year off, in 2 week chunks.

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I have been thinking about going back to school for something else. Just not sure what would be best. Every one I talk to says I love all things hunting and fishing and should look for a career in those areas but I imagine getting on with a good guide is tough. Especially with my current shattered leg. It would be nice to find a company with a Supply Chain Director type position even if they are based in Vancouver because usually you can telecommute but then again that might be spotty anywhere in AK trying to get any kind of signal. I will probably come up there and look around first and see what is available in what areas. I would love to buy a boat and just take people fishing but I imagine that is another tough field to break into. Especially not knowing the waters there. I may talk to a friend that owns his own airport here in Apex and get my pilots license. He has been trying to get me in one of his planes for a while. It would take me more time to get there but maybe a job flying would be better paid and give me more access to the whole state.

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In my current role I design factories, manage SMT lines, and help on the Logistics side. I imagine in Vancouver there are tech companies that could use those skills but probably not much in AK. Sorry if I seem to be all over. I am also looking at a few other areas but would love to figure out a way to make AK work for us.

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Your right on Slope jobs. It seems they want 5 + years experience in the field. I see quite a few Engineer and Manager level jobs I would be a candidate for in Anchorage but that doesn't work if they are laying off teachers.

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Originally Posted by MontanaCreekHunter
The way I see it is you can find a million reasons not to do it. If you really want it then do it. It won't be easy, but nothing worth doing is easy.



Nailed my view zakly!!
I've added professions as the need arose. Living in Southeast and working in the arctic is an extra challenge and why in the world would you want to actually Live inKetchikan ????? Yuk.
Most of the bark has been peeled off of Southeast. When we lost the pulp mills the liberals and gubmints took the place over. It used to be a wonderfully free place. It's just gross now compared to how it used to be.
L.E. up the wazoo. Spy cams every where. Dumb asses that cant navigate their way out of a paper bag without GPS and semi continous runs of flagging tape.
Game and fish hogs that waste more than they eat.
Village life isn't nearly as simple as most think. Either you and your spouse become part of the village or you wont be there long. If your looking for lots of $$$$$$ that ship sailed some time ago.
But if you REALLY WANT TO BE ALASKAN'S !!! It can be done very well and you can prosper up here. But it takes about everything you and yours got.

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Anchorage school district is always having money problems. But look towards the matnuska school district and they don't have those problems. Hell they are building more schools out their. We have a home in the valley and best decision ever anchorage is a rat race houses stacked on each other. Schools up their top notch my daughter down here in Colorado Springs was 6 months ahead of these kids. My wife and daughter miss Alaska and my wife is actively looking to transfer back up to alaska my daughter wants to graduate high school up their. Me I'm stuck here for 2 more yrs by then be time to retire then I'm on my way back to Alaska.


Originally Posted by Bricktop
Then STFU. The rest of your statement is superflous bullshit with no real bearing on this discussion other than to massage your own ego.

Suckin' on my titties like you wanted me.
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Ketchikan is not Alaska


Originally Posted by Bricktop
Then STFU. The rest of your statement is superflous bullshit with no real bearing on this discussion other than to massage your own ego.

Suckin' on my titties like you wanted me.
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We visited a few other areas. Juneau, Skagway, and one other area. I didn't care for Skagway it felt like a Frontier town kind of deal only set up for tourists. The trouble is we where on a cruise bought for us by my mother as a gift. Can't really roam to much because there are set times to meet the boat. That is why we want to come back up and look around some more. All the people in Knudson Cove seemed nice. We liked the way towering cliffs every where if that makes sense. We didn't spend any time in town though. Just traveling to Knudson Cove. It kind of reminded me of Maine or something like that if you get rid of all the tourist shops. That was the worst part about all the towns are the cruise ship shopping strips everywhere. I am sure when the time draws nearer for a trip I will ask advice on where to go and visit.

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If I could swing it I move to either Soldotna or Kenai the winters tend to be a little better than up in Anchorage and definately alot better than Fairbanks.

Last edited by 79S; 07/29/14.

Originally Posted by Bricktop
Then STFU. The rest of your statement is superflous bullshit with no real bearing on this discussion other than to massage your own ego.

Suckin' on my titties like you wanted me.
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Originally Posted by gremcat
We visited a few other areas. Juneau, Skagway, and one other area. I didn't care for Skagway it felt like a Frontier town kind of deal only set up for tourists. The trouble is we where on a cruise bought for us by my mother as a gift. Can't really roam to much because there are set times to meet the boat. That is why we want to come back up and look around some more. All the people in Knudson Cove seemed nice. We liked the way towering cliffs every where if that makes sense. We didn't spend any time in town though. Just traveling to Knudson Cove. It kind of reminded me of Maine or something like that if you get rid of all the tourist shops. That was the worst part about all the towns are the cruise ship shopping strips everywhere. I am sure when the time draws nearer for a trip I will ask advice on where to go and visit.



Skagway is very nice before tourist season like Haines.

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Originally Posted by 79S
If I could swing it I move to either Soldotna or Kenai the winters tend to be a little better than up in Anchorage and definately alot better than Fairbanks.

Kenai sucks in the winter.


If you take the time it takes, it takes less time.
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Originally Posted by 79S
If I could swing it I move to either Soldotna or Kenai the winters tend to be a little better than up in Anchorage and definately alot better than Fairbanks.


In Fairbanks, it ain't the cold so much as the dark. It can get you down.

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Uh Wasilla is no better but I take em over Fairbanks anyday but Fairbanks is nice in the summer and it knocks 400 miles of the haul road trip too


Originally Posted by Bricktop
Then STFU. The rest of your statement is superflous bullshit with no real bearing on this discussion other than to massage your own ego.

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Would it be worthwhile to get my pilots license through ha friend? Is it difficult and how is the pay in the air transport world?

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People think living in Alaska is somehow rocket science. It ain't. Fishing is easy. Hunting is easy. If you have an outdoors IQ of at least 80, you'll do fine. If you and your wife have a good attitude, it's easy. If you married a bitch, then your life will be hell no matter where you live. Cost of living is what you make of it. If you eat a lot of processed foods and food that needs to be brought in, then your grocery bill will be higher. My wife and I eat on less than $350 a month, and that includes food for the young kiddo. If you heat your home with oil and drive a higher MPG vehicle, then those costs will be slightly higher than what you'd pay in the lower 48. If you need to visit family 2x a year, factor in those costs.

By the time Jan/Feb role around, I'm tired and welcome a little darker days and if it rains 30 days a month, I feel a bit better about sitting on my ass resting up. March things start rolling again and I do it all over again.

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Originally Posted by ColdTriggerFinger
Originally Posted by MontanaCreekHunter
The way I see it is you can find a million reasons not to do it. If you really want it then do it. It won't be easy, but nothing worth doing is easy.



Nailed my view zakly!!
I've added professions as the need arose. Living in Southeast and working in the arctic is an extra challenge and why in the world would you want to actually Live inKetchikan ????? Yuk.
Most of the bark has been peeled off of Southeast. When we lost the pulp mills the liberals and gubmints took the place over. It used to be a wonderfully free place. It's just gross now compared to how it used to be.
L.E. up the wazoo. Spy cams every where. Dumb asses that cant navigate their way out of a paper bag without GPS and semi continous runs of flagging tape.
Game and fish hogs that waste more than they eat.
Village life isn't nearly as simple as most think. Either you and your spouse become part of the village or you wont be there long. If your looking for lots of $$$$$$ that ship sailed some time ago.
But if you REALLY WANT TO BE ALASKAN'S !!! It can be done very well and you can prosper up here. But it takes about everything you and yours got.


I can think of a lot worse places to live than Ktown. Juneau would be one of those places. (grin) Good fishing, an airport, walmart, close proximity to good hunting. Ktown has a lot going for it.

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Originally Posted by Calvin
I've added I can think of a lot worse places to live than Ktown. Juneau would be one of those places. (grin) Good fishing, an airport, walmart, close proximity to good hunting. Ktown has a lot going for it.


Now you done hurt folks feelers C.

We have world class skiing from Dec to April - otherwise, winter would suck black moldly ballz.

Did they ever find out what that guy was doing in the K-town quarry - besides trying to blow himself up?

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Originally Posted by ironbender
Originally Posted by 79S
If I could swing it I move to either Soldotna or Kenai the winters tend to be a little better than up in Anchorage and definately alot better than Fairbanks.

Kenai sucks in the winter.


c'mon Mike - u know you love it there. Now, Sterling really sucks - all those Baptists, brown bears, slope workers, drug dealers, home-schoolers, and of course, me... when I'm not n Kotz. But I'm only here 4 or 5 days a month until my wife decides to retire us. Again.

The bad news is that this internet is way faster that at Kotz... smile


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And the likker is cheaper.


The only true cost of having a dog is its death.

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Winter is too often too wet with icy roads. Ugh.


If you take the time it takes, it takes less time.
--Pat Parelli

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Originally Posted by Royce
Being on my third or fourth visit to Alaska (sitting between GlennAllen and Tok right now), I suspect that most people from outside don't understand the time and expense necessary to access the terrific hunting and fishing up here. You simply don't walk out your back door and hunt moose, caribou, deer sheep and all the rest. Moose hunting might be 100 miles away in one direction and you might need a boat or four wheeler when you get there. Salmon fishing might be 100 miles in another direction, and deer twice as far.
Just an outsiders thoughts.

Fred


True most can not just walk out their front door to enjoy the fishing/hunting..

Some though luck out and can cast a fly from their front porch when they are looking to do some fishing. But it comes with it's own trade offs, like doing without some of the familiar necessities that a large town has to offer.

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Originally Posted by Elf
[True most can not just walk out their front door to enjoy the fishing/hunting..

Some though luck out and can cast a fly from their front porch when they are looking to do some fishing. But it comes with it's own trade offs, like doing without some of the familiar necessities that a large town has to offer.
It's tough to picture the "necessities" that a large town has. I can recall a few "conveniences" but these are grossly outweighed by the inconveniences that are as common as asphalt........


Originally Posted by Mule Deer
Suck bullets simply suck.

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Right now I am visiting a company in Beaufort SC. About as far from AK as you can get in the Low Country but it is quite charming. Though I haven't ventured into the alligator grass yet and judging by the gator I caught here last year on a trip I don't want to.

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