Changing my, and my Family's Life Forever....

[phaethona]

I sooooo wish I was in your position! I found a really good deal on a spot of land about 20 miles off the Talkeetna spur, even made plans to check it out and work up the financing, but I just couldn't see being able get all the resources in place in a timely manner, and would likely be stuck in anchorage for longer than I'd like, working to make "enough" of a savings.

there's a lot of work involved, but no one homesteads in AK because it was easy and convenient.

I'm reminded of a lovely lady in Healy, she and her husband turned their home into a nice B&B, husband passed but she still runs it for now. They met in northern Arkansas, married, he went to war, came back, and the two of them packed up and left for Alaska with $38. He worked on the mines in Healy for a while, but they eventually saved enough to build their B&B where they happily lived out their days. granted Healy is touristy and they didn't really "live off the land", they went chasing a dream and they caught it.

 

[WIChookchick]

I have a sister who lived for many years up in Alaska, has two daughters, one still living up there.. Jobs are good, pay is good.
BUT.. some are seasonal, like WINTER only...
You need to seriously look at the climate where you want to live, average rain fall/snow fall, temps through the year. Take a tour of places near where you want to live.
Are there farms up there? Ask serious questions of farmers up there, what do they spend per year? DO they have to buy food for their animals and themselves?
I seriously doubt any one up there is truly self- seficiant like you want. You are seeing things through rose colored lenses..
You need to have fences, out buildings that will stand up to bears, wolves, HEAVY winter snows, BLOWING white out conditions, LONG LONG nights, short summer days.
You may have watched R5sons on RFDTV, or some of them shows with some lone guy building a cabin, wandering around a lake catching salmon or fish, picking berries...
THat was a type of reality, of either a long time ago, or a family business that has been there for 30 plus years...
You need to educate yourself, about the area you want to live in, have a serious SEVERAL YEAR PLAN, think modular vs building a log cabin, You can sell the wood or have it split
and used for building your fences or out buildings, or firewood...
You need to know WHAT will grow, how you need to grow it, and what you need to preserve it with and how.. You need to have a back up plan, you need to have you or your hubby get
a pilots licsense and a plane, OR a decent vehicle that will work, in ALL WEATHER conditions. Horses need special care in places like AK, as well as other livestock.
You can't pull a Little house on the prairie, with out training, equipment, and know how. Its a nice dream, but unless you get your self and hubby educated, you will fail and lose money, time and have heart ache.
I truly hope you go with your heart, I have had a dream, and know I can't have it, not for a long time if ever. And I am 40 now.
I wanted a 90 acre + piece of land, a large 2 story home with an attached green house where I could have a place for birds and small critters like a bio bubble...
Each room would be a different theme, like medieval and or japanese. A barn off to one side, the house and barn well off the road, and a fence around the house...
The whole place would be fenced, and the horses would have most of the acreage to run on. A small house built into the hills/woods way behind the house only to be gotten to via 4 wheeler or horse, a hobbit home.
It will never happen, my husband needs to be near the city for his job, I live in a small weird quansit hut type house, I have birds and reptiles in my home, I board my horses and chickens at a farm in the country some 10-15 mins away. But I have a truck/trailer, I ride my horses, play with the chickens, have the love of seeing baby chicks, and I still have dreams, other dreams...
I know what I can and cannot afford, and know what I can and cannot do now.

Please get educated, and don't get stranded.
GO FOR IT when you can

 

[phaethona]

Quote:
not to be the cow that interrupts, but the OP lives in Wasilla, AK. I'm sure if there ever were any rose-colored glasses, they came off in the first winter or two living up there.

something a lot of people don't understand is homesteading in Alaska is alive and well. And, yes, people do still build their own log cabins, live without tv, cell phones, running water or paved roads, and hunt and grow their own food. it does sound a lot like little house on the prarie, and in a lot of ways it is...with a lot more snow. I think you'd be suprised at how many people live in remote Alaska, just how remote remote Alaska is, and how self-sufficient those folks really are.

I'm sorry if this sounds like a rant, that is not my intention.
ETA to say: I guess my point is that it's not a rose-colored glasses fantasy, it's a very realistic way of life which is very challenging, yes, but very favorable to some

 

[mom'sfolly]

Having grown up in Alaska, I think I have a little perspective. I would be very surprised to find many Alaskan's living with livestock and able to grow enough to feed them year round. I've known a number of people who have lived remotely, summers or year round. It isn't easy, and it isn't for everyone. Most had at least one family member who worked away from the homestead for at least part of the year. I think the OP needs to do some serious research, and figure out just how they can do it. She has an acre of land now, how much does she cultivate? Does she know how to prepare and store food for long term? Does she know how much a pair of goats eats per year? Does she have plans for a medical emergency? Will she have power generation to run hot wire for the animals?

I think that learning about what is really involved and getting a feel for it without commitment would be the wise way to go; especially with children. But I'm a planner. I know that my husband would be unwilling to learn the skills to survive this type of adventure, that it would be detrimental to my children and that I would fear for my mental health. I think that knowing your limitations is important for something like this. Alaska's bush is no place for the unprepared and unwary.

Also, while someone in Wasilla may be familiar with the weather and the long winters, they can still reach an ER, drive to a Wally World and take a commercial airliner out, if they need to. There is a big difference between a place like Wasilla and Dillingham, and an even greater difference in the kind of place the OP is describing.

 

[AngieChick]

Quote:
My husband grew up on a hippie commune, up until he was 12. While it did many wonderful things for him, there was a price to be paid. For example, when they moved off of The Farm (a vegan commune), it was all about the processed foods and "cheese" slices for him. Even now I can't get that man to drink soymilk or really enjoy a nice nutty whole wheat bread.

I guess what I am getting at is that in any lifestyle there are good and bad things that come out of it, but what is given is that the results are not always what we intended.

Be very aware that in taking on such an extreme lifestyle can backfire with kids. They could grow up never wanting to set foot in a rural area again. While I understand your desire and vision, is there a middle ground for you? At least until your kids are grown?



Edited to add: I just read Mom's Folly's post, lots of wisdom in it. I would further suggest that you read John Krakaur's book "Into the Wild". It's a heartwrenching story, but a good reminder that sometimes we need to take a step back and make sure that we have a very well laid, realistic plan.

 

[texascowboy1979]

That sounds awsome, my only thougt is not haveing a paved road from my house to the main street. I live down a gravel road, and I hate it when it rains... Sometimes we get stuck. Im with you 90 percent, but would shoot for a paved road.

Oh, and A/C.

 

[Slinkytoys]

No one has addressed the "aging problem". What would you do as you aged?? No way could you be sure that you could physically be able to live that sort of life as you aged. When you needed to move into a more age friendly area, who would purchase your place?? It would be a bite to have to practically give it away if you had to have the money to move. Trust me, you wouldn't want to live wayyyyyy out there if you had to use a walker or wheelchair. Dreams are wonderful, but you have to be practical. We all age whether we want to or not.
Slinky

 

[Wolfwoman]

For someone that has done it, DO IT NOW while you and your kids are young. We're headed that way again, tho not quite out as far as you, because right now we can't afford it. In the spring we'll be moving into a cabin with no electricity or running water, done it before and it's really NOT THAT TOUGH.

Worry about things as they come, it's much easier that way.

To those of you that have never lived here, and never intend to live this way, you really haven't a clue how it can be done. Yes it's a little harder, but it's honest living. It's clean living and it's GREAT. I wished I had done this when my kids were little instead of waiting until they were grown and out of the house.

If you want to talk to people that are doing this now or have done it, PM me and I'll head you in the right direction.

ETA: We are shooting for moving to Chicken within the next 10 years. As far as aging, it's part of life. You deal with it.

 

[redhen]

Quote:
Yeah.. but how far are you from a store , etc.?.
Having no electricity or running water is one thing...
Having no place to buy supplies and animal food is another thing....
That would be the big scare for me... no supplies near-by...

 

[thaiturkey]

Quote:
I can do that because I had to consider it prior to my own move.

You have to prepare for old age even if you never leave the town where you were born. If you plan to retire in another country you need to learn about their relevant laws and care facilities, especially if you won't have family with you. Health insurance, visa compliance and income are the main issues to address.

It's handy, if you can, to retain the ability to return home to live if you ever decide to.

The practicalities of everyday living overseas certainly need to be considered. I have a downstairs den that can be converted to a bedroom wand an adjacent shower room and toilet should I ever not be able to make the stairs. The area immediately around the house, on the vernadahs and down to the front gate is tiled. The care of the elderly may well be better in some other countries than back home. In Thailand families always take care of their elderly. In England my wife was shocked to see an old lady struggling down the village High Street on a zimmer to buy food. She thought it was disgraceful that her family didn't take better care of her.

In brief, make no assumptions but do your homework on local life and facilities. There's a big world to be enjoyed if you have some spirit of adventure. Dreams certainly are wonderful and, with some thought and planning, you an make them come true. For many years I dreaded the thought of sitting around in my old age cursing the winter weather that kills so many old folk, being increasingly harassed by stupid 'can't do' laws and waiting for visits from people who really don't want to be around old folk. I now live in a warm climate, prices are low so the standard of living for me is better, my garden grows before my eyes, neighbours always talk to me and I can keep animals with no restriction. I shall happily see my days out on the vernadah if I'm ever immobile; a thousand or more times better than kicking the bucket in a hospital bed over which hangs a sign 'Do Not Resuscitate'. If you live your life doing only what seems to be safe and preoccupying yourself with old age you may find that what seems safe no longer is and you may sacrifice today for a tomorrow that you never have.