Alaska is a land filled with wealth in both resource and culture. The name Alaska is in fact derived from an Aleut word meaning ‘main’ or ‘great’ land. The literal translation of ‘Alaxsxaq’ (also spelled ‘Alyeska’) being ‘the object toward which the action of the sea is directed’ is indicative of the state as a whole. Particularly considering we have 6,640 miles of coastline — greater than all other US states’ coastline combined. The average local uniquely reflects Alaska’s greatness and fortitude— qualities that good friends have in spades.
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Why There's No Better Friend Than an Alaskan
1. We know stuff, a lot of stuff about Alaska.
Filled to the brim with interesting, useful and informative facts, the average Alaskan holds their own when it comes to fulfilling the role of tour guide.
Visiting your Alaskan friend in The Last Frontier will leave you with no shortage of knowledge about things you never knew were things. You’ll head home as an honorary ambassador for our great state and ready to educate others on all things Alaska.
2. We’re fixers.
In fact, we will drop everything to come help you out of a serious jam when the need arises. It doesn’t make a bit of difference whether the jam is large, small, inside or outside— either we’ll know how to fix it ourselves or exactly who to call that will. Alaskans, by default, are some of the best and most resourceful situation resolving/troubleshooting/broken stuff fixers you’ll ever have the pleasure of knowing.
3. We’re tips and tricks experts.
We love as in L-O-V-E sharing our tips and tricks for dealing with situations. As one may easily imagine, the Alaskan life is filled to the brim with all manner of odd, unusual and unpredictable situations. We’ve got an endless supply of hacks for dealing with them and nothing makes us happier than imparting the wisdom of our crazy experiences into others in hopes they’ll be better prepared for whatever’s next on the list of life surprises.
4. We never turn down an invitation for adventure.
Adventure is the middle name of practically every Alaskan you’ll ever meet. Rightly so as we collectively live and thrive on it. Heck, our state was born on the backs of hardcore adventure seeking souls. As far as we’re concerned, the bigger the adventure, the better. Inviting your Alaskan friend on an exploit is a guarantee the expedition will be a smashing success.
5. We love road tripping.
As far as we’re concerned, the longer the road, the better the trip. The fact we live in a state where travel distances are measured first and foremost in hours says it all. We have remarkable stamina when it comes to long-haul driving and we are happiest when out enjoying Alaska’s grandiose scenic views. Road tripping with an Alaskan friend means you’ll never see long distance driving quite the same way again.
6. We’re excellent wildlife spotters.
Hanging with an Alaskan whether in or out of Alaska means you’ll have someone by your side to point out even the most stealthy creatures. You’ll see a whole new world of critters you never realized were right under your nose. Your level of appreciation for wild things will increase many times over and developing a keener eye will be an inadvertent side effect.
7. We make dealing with difficulty seem easy.
There’s this thing about being Alaskan that wires us with a massive capacity for dealing with difficulty. So much so that we take on challenges and obstacles without breaking stride. Hardship and handling undesirable miscellany are par for the course. Being our friend means you’ll start to see life’s difficult moments less and less as ‘impossible situations’ and more and more as opportunities designed to test your own personal limits.
8. We’ll always show up with extra.
Being our friend means ample supply for every situation. It’s a guarantee we’ll show up to everything we’re invited to with a bare minimum of two of everything ‘just in case.’ It won’t matter if we’re in the back country, on a road trip or stopping over for a potluck dinner. It’s an Alaskan thing— we’re always prepared with plenty to spare.
9. We’ll build a rip roaring fire in any weather.
We love fire and our fire building skills are epic. While we’re not exactly born knowing how to build great fires, we acquire copious experience early on. Be it at high or low altitudes, inland or seaside, inside or outside, keeping our tribe cozy warm as ‘Keepers of the Flame’ is our jam.
10. We know the best local spots for everything.
You name it, if it’s in Alaska, we’ll be able to tell you, take you and show you the best places for practically any outdoor adventure genre you can think of and many you can’t. We live for the ‘wow factor’ and love to awe our friends with good pure Alaskan awesomeness.
11. We know how to fish for (and catch) the planet’s most coveted salmon.
We may not have hard statistics but out of the 7.5 (ish) billion who live on this big blue ball, how many can claim that level of elitism? To be coached by an Alaskan angler in the intricate art of obtaining a wild Alaskan salmon in either fresh or salt water? Priceless!
12. We are some of the kindest people you’ll ever meet.
By nature, we’re givers. Alaska requires so much and because of that, we’re glad to do anything and everything that makes life a smidgen easier for ourselves and others. We’re a people who will literally give you the shirt off our backs and not think twice about it. 