If you're an Alaskan, and you're traveling around the lower 48, then you are bound to get countless looks of surprise when you inform people that you're from Alaska. They often want to hear a little bit more about the "last frontier" and, oddly enough, a lot of the questions you hear are generally the same. Here is a list of common assumptions and questions outsiders tend to have about Alaska. Have you heard any of these before? Feel free to add others you've heard in the comments section and we can all enjoy the silly assumptions of people who've never been to Alaska.
1) It must be freezing up there!
Contrary to popular belief, Alaska is not cold all year round. In fact, even the winters aren't as harsh as some of the lower 48 states.
2) Isn't it dark all winter long?
No, not all places in Alaska are dark all winter long. In fact, only a few towns in Northern Alaska lose sunlight for about a month. Otherwise, most places in Alaska simply experience longer periods of darkness in the winter. The sun comes up around 10 or so and goes down by 4. In the summer, you get less night and more sunlight!
3) Did you see bears a lot?
For some reason people think Alaska is infested with bears... and truthfully it is. But bears don't just hang out downtown, they stay further out of town than other animals, like moose, that take advantage of the plowed sidewalks and streets. Let's not forget that bears hibernate during the winter, so that helps.
4) Is there anything up there?
When I first moved to Alaska, I had people ask me all the time what I did up there. The question baffled me at first, until I realized that people think Alaska is barren and filled with mountains, not bustling streets and people. Believe it or not Alaska is a state with cities and towns and hospitals and roads and things to do on the weekend.
5) Do people drive around on snowmachines?
Probably one of my favorite assumptions people make about Alaska is that people just commute everywhere on snowmachines. In smaller towns people get place to place on their snowmachiens, sure, but in the city people still drive their car to work or the grocery store. We have this thing called snow plows and they work wonders on our roads!
6) Oh, so you went there for school?
Maybe this doesn't fit for all Alaskans, but for those of you in your 20's, it's pretty common for people to assume you moved to Alaska for school, not the wicked recreation or for a wild adventure.
7) So what do you think about Sarah Palin?
Every once in a while you get a snide remark about Sarah Palin, and if you've ever seen her or driven by her house. For the record, I've tried driving past her house and it's like impossible to get a glimpse of...I'm not surprised, it is Sarah Palin after all.
8) Doesn't everyone have guns up there?
No, and yes. That's a hard one because a lot of people do carry in Alaska if not for the protection against big, scary animals that would most likely kill you if you are defenseless. But no, not everyone has a sawed off shotgun tucked between their passenger seat.
What other stereotypes would you add to this list?
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