There’s something inexplicable about being able to say, “Yes, I come from the place we catch the world’s most prized wild salmon, halibut and rainbow trout.” We’re blessed big in the seafood department and don’t we know it!
Once exposed to the majestic, towering beauty of Alaska’s mountains, there’s no going back. Alaskans statewide will attest, “Our mountains are best.” And we love making sure everyone we meet knows it.
Not only do we have more of it (94,740 square miles) than every other state in the union, but we have some of the best-tasting water in the world. Especially when talking about water from the source. Alaskan water in general tastes fantastic— Alaskan glacier water is heavenly on a whole new level.
Be it Alaskan highways, waterways, railways, airways or trail systems getting to and fro in the state is one cause for marvel after another. Collectively, we’re an ‘on the move’ people and a large part of the reason is because we love how we get places every bit as much as we love arriving at our destinations.
Be it winter with star and Aurora Borealis spanning the horizon or summer’s Midnight Sun, Alaskans love drinking in the breathtaking beauty of our vast, endless sky. In fact, in our world, the only thing bigger than Alaska itself is the sky.
Some of America’s largest recorded produce hails from Alaska. In fact, seven world records for giant vegetables are held by an Alaskan. When factoring in wild game, wild berries, wild mushrooms and fresh and saltwater fare— there’s no doubting Alaska is a land rich in deliciously abundant resource and we make every attempt to take full advantage of it. We don’t hold anything back when spouting praises for the fabulous feasts our great land provides.
In fact, it’s been said, “Alaskans would be some of the best people to have around in an apocalypse.” While we appreciate the need for theory, we’re some of the most practically minded people you’ll ever meet and we’re incredibly aware of it. Heck, an Alaskan in any group means you’ve got a human Swiss Army Knife at your disposal.
Alaskans north and south relish the fact our state is one of the most inaccessible. We love that it is ours. We especially love that when we say, “I’m getting out of town.” We literally mean, “Heading off into the vast Alaskan wilderness and will not likely see many other people the entire time.” If humans had peacock tail feathers, we’d probably have ours on display all the time over this point of Alaskan pride.
Fewer than fifteen states in the good old US of A have a single area code for the entire state and Alaska falls happily into that category. It’s not uncommon to see a 907 sticker, key chain, necklace, pair of earrings or more recently, a teeny tattoo subtly displayed on or in the vicinity of an Alaskan. We absolutely love that we can covertly identify ourselves to other Alaskans when globetrotting.
Given the variety of activities we participate in and the great lengths we must go to arrive at our destinations in one piece, it’s a given that we acquire legendary packing skills early on. Some of us even know the weight of airplane baggage instinctively and are so accurate we can get within ounces of the limit without a scale. We are without doubt, enviable masters of the packing craft.
If one can drive in Alaska, one can, by all rights be prepared to drive practically anywhere else on the planet. We’re just that confident and prove it to friends and family time and time again. Many traveling Alaskans return home beaming with tales of how they were the hero or heroine of the story upon finding their travel companions stuck in an inch of snow.
Visitors to the state often attest, “Alaskans are some of the warmest, friendliest, most helpful people I’ve ever met.” We make it a point to go our of our way to extend a helping hand to others. Heck, we built our Alaskanness on the whole ‘pay it forward’ concept before that was a trend. That’s the thing about the Alaska life— we all live there knowing the day will come when we need a stranger’s help. We take a lot of pride in living like a people who know what it means to truly and genuinely help others out of a jam. Especially considering we’ve all been on the receiving end of aid at least once in our Alaskan lives. 