Moving, Alaska Style!

People that decide to move to Alaska are faced with many decisions. One of the most significant choices involves what to do with all your stuff. Alaska is so far away from the rest of the continental US that it often feel like we live in another country. Because of the distance, shipping costs are through the roof. In the past year we have talked with many people about their moving experiences and the choices they made. One couple who moved up from California (relatively close to Alaska - or should we say it's at least on the same coast) spent about $17,000 to move their 3-bedroom house belongings. Others have embraced a pioneer spirit by loading up their cars and trekking across the Alaska-Canadian Highway (often referred to as the ALCAN highway) for a multi-day excursion. Some have even been brave enough to try this during the middle of winter!

After talking with numerous people about their experiences it seems that there are a few common approaches on how people move their stuff here:

1. Bring It All With You Approach:

Get a moving truck and drive (or have a moving company deliver it across the country) or ship some pallets on a barge. Either way you will pay a hefty price to have your beloved belongings with you.

2. Leave It All Behind Approach:

Purge most of your stuff and start over when you arrive in Alaska. Amazingly Alaska is rather civilized (at least in the urban areas) and has almost anything you would need/want, the only catch is that things are expensive here.

3. Suitcase Approach:

Move to Alaska two suitcases at a time. For example each time you visit family take suitcases that are almost empty, load them up with stuff and bring them to Alaska. It also works to ask friends and family to bring items out when they visit.

4. Hybrid Approach:

A combination of the #2 and #3. Choose a select number of items you treasure, box them up and send them out. Of course if you are shipping books, use media mail to save money! Then purge all the rest.

We contemplated all of these options and other crazy scenarios like working for a trucking or RV company that needs to have items delivered from NY to AK. The approach we seem to be embracing (at least this week) is the Hybrid Approach. We have brought items out in our suitcases when we travel and we our friend Kevin brought out a suitcase too. We are especially grateful to Brent's sister Tasha and husband Bill who have gathered our items from our co-op in NY and who have sent out several boxes this past year! Our house now feels like a home.

Most recently Bill and Tasha sent us several boxes from NY. I (Liz) am not sure if I was more excited about the contents inside the boxes or what was painted on the outside of the boxes, "Hoffman Explorers." Thanks Bill and Tasha!

After living without most of our stuff for a year, it's nice to have familiar items again. We still have a lot of items in our co-op in NY which is now being subleted. In the near future we will need to decide if we will purge the rest of our items or make other plans. It is surreal to live life without most of your stuff. It is actually freeing to live simply and "make do" (a new concept for me) with what you do have. I have found when I have less stuff I have more time to focus on what is important and I am much more creative/inventive. I have also realized that a person needs a lot less than they think they do, simplicity is good!