I was raised in Ohio but moved to Alaska seven years ago.
The midnight sun is real in some places, but not in others.
bison, moose, and reindeer are more popular than beef.
I relocated to Alaska seven years ago.
Even though I had traveled outside of the Midwest for work and vacation, I had never been closer to Texas.
When I moved to Alaska, I didn't expect long winters, rain boots, or bison burgers.
I'm still in the area and have been for nearly seven years.
Some parts of Alaska are not very cold.
I didn't need a sweater in August but I still wear shorts.
I live in the southern part of the state and the climate is not as cold as the northern part of the state.
Summer and winter temperatures can be as cold as 15 degrees below zero.
The state doesn't pay for living here.
Every Alaskan gets an equal amount of the state's oil royalties through a yearly dividend.
Just because you moved here doesn't mean you get it.
Once you are eligible, you need to fill out a yearly application and provide all of the supporting documents.
Every year the amount of the dividend is different.
The sun is not a lie.
I get asked a lot if Alaska gets 23 hours of daylight in the summer or if it's dark all the time. There is an answer to both of those questions.
Daylight is the best from mid-May to mid-September. We only see an hour or two of dusk when it is below the horizon.
You only get a few hours of light when the sun meets the horizon in some of the northernmost parts of Alaska.
It's hard to sleep when we get between five and six hours of daylight in the winter and 20 hours in the summer.
Fishing is a popular pastime.
Fishing is one of the most popular pastimes in Alaska.
The town of Homer, Alaska, is home to the world's largest fishing fleet. Travelers from all over the US descend on the coastal hamlet in the summer to compete for the biggest catch during the city's annual Halibut Derby.
Most of the time, we have extra fish to send to friends and family in the Midwest, and we stock our freezer with enough fish to last us at least a year.
Alaska is bigger than the map shows.
Maps and globes underestimateAlaska's size.
It takes about the same amount of time from where I live to Alaska as it does from Ohio to Kentucky. The trip is called a one-tank trip because it requires a full tank of gas.
Alaska is larger than Texas and can fit 19 states inside with room left over.
The growing season doesn't last long.
The time for planting and harvesting is shorter in the Midwest than in Alaska.
High tunnels or greenhouses are used by most farmers in Alaska to fight the cooler temperatures.
It is very easy to find coffee.
When we crossed over into Alaska from Canada, I noticed a number of unique coffee drive-thrus that were very similar to Starbucks.
Even though it's easy to get coffee in Alaska, convenience-store drive-thrus are a rare sight.
The convenience of buying alcohol, snacks, and milk from my car is still missing.
The wild game is more popular.
I was surprised to see reindeer sausage on the menu.
It's not unusual for a restaurant or food truck to serve wild game instead of beef.
Wild game can be found in the store.
I still worry about earthquakes.
We only feel a small portion of the earthquakes that occur in Alaska.
When we feel the all too common aftershocks, I feel a little anxious.
I would take a storm or tornado over an earthquake.
The scenery lasts a long time.
I've lived in Alaska for seven years, and I'm still amazed at the beauty of the state. It's stunningly beautiful.
The clearest and most stunning color of blue can be seen when the sun hits the water.
I don't have the same sense of adventure that attracts most people to Alaska, but I do see the appeal of the state and how many tourists come every year.
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