I Want to Move to Alaska.

Alaska is my new obsession.  Actually,  I've always been fascinated with our 49th state, but lately the desire to live there has come bubbling to the surface.  I've been reading a book of essays about living there (Haines) and watching "Northern Exposure" reruns.  Maybe that has something to do with it?  I don't know.  There is just something exciting about living "on the edge" of the United States.  Not to mention, I would rather have Sarah Pallin as my overlord than Christine Gregoire.  (Okay, that's not really a reason to move there, but I couldn't resist).  But could I really handle it?  I'm not a big fan of winter.  I think everybody knows that.  And let's face it; it's winter about 8 months out of the year in Alaska.  And the 3 hours of daylight in January would really freak me out.  But there are lots of pros.  Those LONG summer days!  The hiking!  The camping!  The Grizzly Bears ripping me to shreds.  Oops.  Wrong column.  Umm...the wide open spaces!  The excitement!  I've spent every night this week looking at real estate in Anchorage and Juneau and last night I even looked for jobs!  Yikes!  Yes, I've decided on Juneau or Anchorage; and yes, I've been to both.  Juneau's weather isn't that different than Seattle's.  Just a little cooler and rainier (I didn't even realize that was possible).  But Juneau is kind of small (30,000) and remote as it can only be reached by air and sea.  Anchorage, on the other hand is snowier and colder, but it's a much larger city (350,000).  And they have Nordstrom, Costco and REI.  Ahhhh the comforts of home!  Actually, I do this all the time.  I decide that I'm going to move somewhere and then I never do.  I like to do the research and to dream about it, but that's about it.  I guess by doing that I can just "virtually" live there without having to do it.  That's a little sad, but cheaper and a lot less stressful.