Nx summer, it was off to Alaska. We live in MatSu 6-7 years, got to know Palin before she was Mayor. Realized pretty quick, my family paid 15K less in taxes than in Pa. Killed a bunch of moose, run dogteam,had a few snowmachines, climbed alot above treeline, and experienced freedom like I never realized it existed. Worked up on the slope and in Anch at Era Aviation wife taught school.
WE got tired of the 75 mile each way drive to Anch everyday. I finished up my ed degree and we moved out towards the interior, taught at Indian Village. Does one good to be the ugly minority for a year but figured the Indians out, as they don't even think like us. We ended up 4 miles from the Canadian Border in a split rural community of 100 Whites and 30 Indians. Been here, 9 years; much as I miss hockey games, Big Macs, malls, ect; can't bring ourselves to leave. Kids at UAF & UAA now. We talk about it as offered jobs in teaching every summer, but can't do it.
I drive into Fairbanks, see all the cars, look at the people, they look back at me; nobody knows each other; drives me crazy. In our community, you see a trk, you know the entire family and more importantly,,, all their business. Sense of security in that believe it or not. No crime, no locks on anything, no keys ever removed from ignition.
No taxes, no law enforcement, no organized local govt, no regulations, no comp planning, all kinds of unbounded freedom; I just luv it, and they couldn't ever run me outta Ak. It's the mountains, the freedom, the Alaskan mindset of what a man does in his own house is his own business and the govt can butt out. Alaska is where I belong. Palin says it right too, and I wish she was still our Governor, she's the real deal.
Wow, I sense a great deal of personal contentment in your life just by your postings. I’ve never been to Alaska myself but would like to some day. The sad truth is that I have been to Europe on multiple occasions and visited virtually every country in Western Europe (and some in Eastern Europe), been to South Africa, etc., but have only been west of the Mississippi River a few times. There’s much of my own country to explore, including Alaska. Having grown up in Ohio, I cannot really appreciate the kind of freedoms you enjoy up there. Here, it often seems like a relative nanny/police state. As I said, my wife and I hope to some day make it up to your part of the world for a visit.