Jana 9: So, What is Jana (and her Instagram) Being Primed For and Why?

[Maggie Mae]

18 hours ago, raspberrymint said:

My kind of odds.  My wife wants to move to Alaska.

Make sure you have a job first. Alaska is and has been in a recession, and we're in a huge political .. something. Clusterfuck? It's a giant mess and soooo many people come, stay two years, and leave. It's not for everyone. And people are homeless here. 

[Lizzybet]

On 9/1/2019 at 4:14 PM, Audrey2 said:

This reminds me of a saying I've heard about Alaska. "Come to Alaska, where the odds are good, but the goods are odd."

My husband just got back from a trip to Alaska. When I told him what you said, he said “Yep. That’s about right.”

16 hours ago, JordynDarby5 said:

Me too. It such a cool place. 

I was really surprised and disappointed that there is no recycling there, at least as far as my husband could see. Everything is thrown out.

[twoandthrough]

On 9/2/2019 at 1:27 AM, viii said:

Alaska is absolutely gorgeous and worth the trip. I’d love to go back. 

Agreed. Just returned from a 2 week trip there and am still so sad we had to leave! 

[Irishy]

I think she just hasn’t met the right person. Or, there’s a reason that they are preventing her from marrying. She’s mentioned ‘contentment’ as a focus often. And it makes me wonder if she struggles with it being out of her hands for one reason or another.

[Maggie Mae]

20 hours ago, Lizzybet said:

My husband just got back from a trip to Alaska. When I told him what you said, he said “Yep. That’s about right.”

I was really surprised and disappointed that there is no recycling there, at least as far as my husband could see. Everything is thrown out.

There's recycling but it's expensive, and not really worth it. So much recycling, even in the Lower 48, is sorted and then taken to the same landfill, or shipped to China (who stopped taking our recycling recently). 

The small population size, coupled with the large landmass with lots of unusable area, means that it's more cost effective to reduce, reuse, and then throw away than to recycle.

Most Alaskans use less, are not as focused on brands, luxury items, and conspicuous consumption. We don't have ikea, we drink from Nalgene bottles because it's less expensive than bottled water in single use plastic. We buy higher end, longer wearing clothes. 

So whining about how we don't have recycling plants for 700,000 people spread over a distance that spans the entire lower 48, is just sad and ignores the unique challenges we have. Would you rather we package up our stuff and burn fossil fuels to send it to Seattle, so they can send it overseas? 

You want to keep Alaska clean? Don't take a cruise. They dump human waste into the ocean, burn fossil fuels, and create a false economy. They keep the tourists segregated from general population, sending them to buy at the cruise ships gift shops, not our local businesses. They skip the biggest city altogether, and don't have cruise ship people eat at our restaurants, choosing to give them cafeteria food. They hire out of state seasonal workers instead of local year-round residents. 

Instead, make your own plans, figure out what you like to do, and do that. Interact with actual Alaskans, read our newspapers, and listen when they tell you about our way of life. 

[PumaLover]

1 hour ago, Maggie Mae said:

You want to keep Alaska clean? Don't take a cruise. They dump human waste into the ocean, burn fossil fuels, and create a false economy. They keep the tourists segregated from general population, sending them to buy at the cruise ships gift shops, not our local businesses. They skip the biggest city altogether, and don't have cruise ship people eat at our restaurants, choosing to give them cafeteria food. They hire out of state seasonal workers instead of local year-round residents. 

I had no idea about this. I've wanted to take an Alaskan cruise for a long time but now I think a road trip would be better. Odd question, but I am a vegetarian. From what I've seen on TV and told by my friend who lived there, it seems the diet is heavily meat and fish based. Would I have much in the way of food options?

[Maggie Mae]

8 minutes ago, PumaLover said:

I had no idea about this. I've wanted to take an Alaskan cruise for a long time but now I think a road trip would be better.

Honestly, I am a little harsh on cruises but it is the most efficient way to see Southeast Alaska (Juneau, Ketchikan, Sitka, Skagway) without spending a tin. The marine highway is also an option, but with the Governor being a jackass I don't know how long that would remain an option. It's also a huge part of the conomy downthere. 

However, the "land and sea" option does that, then takes people up to Anchorage. They overnight in Anchorage and then are bussed to a series of cruise ship owned lodges to do excursions and stare at Denali. If you are interested in Denali, I would fly to Anchorage or Fairbanks and drive. You won't be rushed and you'd see more, and be able to do the museums and move around without being rushed around. 

My biggest complaint is that it's so rushed. The people I do talk to tend to not have any idea where they are or where they've been. Some don't even seem to care it's just about the pictures for them. 

The smaller cruise ships seem to be better and offer a more interesting experience. Plus those people have more time at each destination. 

8 minutes ago, PumaLover said:

Odd question, but I am a vegetarian. From what I've seen on TV and told by my friend who lived there, it seems the diet is heavily meat and fish based. Would I have much in the way of food options?

It's not an odd question at all! Due to the extreme north location, traditional diets here tend to be fish, meat, berries, and things with longevity. There are a few vegan options in Anchorage. We have people move here from all around the world - the most diverse school in the US is in Mountain View, Anchorage. So we have a couple of Indian restaurants and at least two vegetarian places. But there is a LOT seafood. Tons of Thai restaurants (and Vietnamese that serve Thai dishes, and for some reason all of our Italian restaurants seem to also serve Greek foods or Mexican). Fairbanks has some of the best Thai restaurants I've ever been to, in any state. It's a weird place. 

We have locally sourced vegetables from the Mat-Su Valley, for now. Again, dick head governor tried and possibly succeeded in killing off that growing industry. 

I'm also a bit salty at the big criuse people, due to some (not all) of them being confused and upset when their trip was changed due to the wildfires. Yes, the train is not running. The tracks are covered with dead trees and ash. I'm sure the people who lost their homes and businesses are also upset that you had to be on a bus for 8 hours while they evacuated with their families, pets, and livestock. 

[srlm]

Maggie Mae, thank you for all of this info I hope to take all of your advice and come visit sometime. Now, which months will I definitely not get snowed on? (I have enough of that where I live....)

[Maggie Mae]

2 minutes ago, srlm said:

Maggie Mae, thank you for all of this info I hope to take all of your advice and come visit sometime. Now, which months will I definitely not get snowed on? (I have enough of that where I live....)

Late May, June, July, August. Probably September, too. Snows been coming later every year and our winters have been warmer. This summer was the hottest and driest summer ever. I live in South Central, so I can't speak for Fairbanks or Southeast Alaska. 

[raspberrymint]

Any idea about prospects for a (civilian) pilot in Alaska?

Our plan is to be there in 10 years, sooner if we can afford to sooner.

[HideousGreenShirt]

Jana has gone on the "Medicorps" disaster relief trip to the Bahamas. 

Lawson and Nathan Bates are there. I know that there's been a lot of Jana-Lawson courtship speculation, but I've recently begun to think something may be up with her and Nathan. I'm almost certain I spotted him in her recent SDC story videos (not the ones on her post that are still up). 

I hope not because he has been shown on BuB to be pretty awful, but it seems they would be a better fit than her and Lawson. 

[twoandthrough]

2 hours ago, Maggie Mae said:

Honestly, I am a little harsh on cruises but it is the most efficient way to see Southeast Alaska (Juneau, Ketchikan, Sitka, Skagway) without spending a tin. The marine highway is also an option, but with the Governor being a jackass I don't know how long that would remain an option. It's also a huge part of the conomy downthere. 

However, the "land and sea" option does that, then takes people up to Anchorage. They overnight in Anchorage and then are bussed to a series of cruise ship owned lodges to do excursions and stare at Denali. If you are interested in Denali, I would fly to Anchorage or Fairbanks and drive. You won't be rushed and you'd see more, and be able to do the museums and move around without being rushed around. 

My biggest complaint is that it's so rushed. The people I do talk to tend to not have any idea where they are or where they've been. Some don't even seem to care it's just about the pictures for them. 

The smaller cruise ships seem to be better and offer a more interesting experience. Plus those people have more time at each destination. 

It's not an odd question at all! Due to the extreme north location, traditional diets here tend to be fish, meat, berries, and things with longevity. There are a few vegan options in Anchorage. We have people move here from all around the world - the most diverse school in the US is in Mountain View, Anchorage. So we have a couple of Indian restaurants and at least two vegetarian places. But there is a LOT seafood. Tons of Thai restaurants (and Vietnamese that serve Thai dishes, and for some reason all of our Italian restaurants seem to also serve Greek foods or Mexican). Fairbanks has some of the best Thai restaurants I've ever been to, in any state. It's a weird place. 

We have locally sourced vegetables from the Mat-Su Valley, for now. Again, dick head governor tried and possibly succeeded in killing off that growing industry. 

I'm also a bit salty at the big criuse people, due to some (not all) of them being confused and upset when their trip was changed due to the wildfires. Yes, the train is not running. The tracks are covered with dead trees and ash. I'm sure the people who lost their homes and businesses are also upset that you had to be on a bus for 8 hours while they evacuated with their families, pets, and livestock. 

I don't live there, but after visiting for a couple weeks, I definitely agree you could be vegetarian there! I'm not one anymore but was for years, so my eyes still go straight to searching for what I could eat if I were.. and also, I had never heard of the Mat-Su Valley before our trip (my husband was actually up there working - military - and the kids and I tagged along because why not?! It's ALASKA!), and we actually adopted our new pup from the Mat-Su shelter while we were there on a whim... oops! Happiest "what were we thinking" ever!

[Maggie Mae]

2 hours ago, raspberrymint said:

Any idea about prospects for a (civilian) pilot in Alaska?

Our plan is to be there in 10 years, sooner if we can afford to sooner.

I do not know.  Seems like everyone and their brother has a pilot's license; there's a lot of different endorsements you'd need because we have so many different types of planes. I have no idea what the economy will look like in 10 years, despite that being my job for the last 10. The governor has done immense damage to the economy - transportation, research, education, health care, it's been slashed. We're in the process of doing a recall but there's already lasting damage to education and much of the rural subsidies and non-profit funds are gone. So people with a lot of historical knowledge, tenured professors, etc all have left the state. Governor up Trump's Rump is talking about how he wants to slash the population of the state in half. It's a mess, and it's compounded by his incompetence and other factors. 

BP just sold all of their remaining assets and is pulling out of the state - they were one of the states largest employers. Nordstrom is leaving Anchorage, and taking 190 retail jobs with it. He's privatizing the state mental health hospital and has fired all of the state employees who refused to sign his bullshit loyalty pledge, and gave the contract to an out of state firm - no bidding process. Things are fucked and I could go on and on and on. Cutting the university system by 40%. Ending senior benefits. Ending medicaid, bring it back, and not publicizing it. One guy had a procedure done one day (removing teeth), went back for the second appointment to get the implants in, and was told they couldn't do it. 

[Ever]

2 hours ago, HideousGreenShirt said:

Jana has gone on the "Medicorps" disaster relief trip to the Bahamas. 

Lawson and Nathan Bates are there. I know that there's been a lot of Jana-Lawson courtship speculation, but I've recently begun to think something may be up with her and Nathan. I'm almost certain I spotted him in her recent SDC story videos (not the ones on her post that are still up). 

I hope not because he has been shown on BuB to be pretty awful, but it seems they would be a better fit than her and Lawson. 

I wanna know who the unknown guy is. (StNding between JD and the Bates boys)

[justmy2cents]

19 minutes ago, Ever said:

I wanna know who the unknown guy is. (StNding between JD and the Bates boys)

Not sure. His name may be Andrew Patton? A friend of the family and I think he’s married.

[Kelsey]

On 9/2/2019 at 5:02 PM, Lizzybet said:

 

I was really surprised and disappointed that there is no recycling there, at least as far as my husband could see. Everything is thrown out.

Recycling just doesn't make sense in AK. They are isolated so it would have to taken back to Seattle by ship or driven 2kish miles through Canada. Alaskans don't have as much of a consumerish mentality-because it's difficult and/or expensive to get items in much of the state. Most Alaskans are very practical with their purchases and reuse things a lot. It's not uncommon for communities to host swaps to pass on goods that are no longer needed- including things like "5 pounds of flour that expires in a month that I can't possibly use" or a half dozen of eggs.

[Lizzybet]

7 hours ago, Maggie Mae said:

 

So whining about how we don't have recycling plants for 700,000 people spread over a distance that spans the entire lower 48, is just sad and ignores the unique challenges we have. Would you rather we package up our stuff and burn fossil fuels to send it to Seattle, so they can send it overseas? 

You want to keep Alaska clean? Don't take a cruise. They dump human waste into the ocean, burn fossil fuels, and create a false economy. They keep the tourists segregated from general population, sending them to buy at the cruise ships gift shops, not our local businesses. They skip the biggest city altogether, and don't have cruise ship people eat at our restaurants, choosing to give them cafeteria food. They hire out of state seasonal workers instead of local year-round residents. 

First off, I wasn’t whining.

Second, I have no intention of visiting Alaska or many other places, just a fact- nothing against Alaska or Alaskans which is why my took this trip alone.

[Kelsey]

@Lizzybet expressing disappointment about a group of people's actions that you have no knowledge of is bound to ruffle some feathers. Generally speaking, it's not a great idea to make judgements about places based of your experiences while on vacation (or in this case, your understanding of someone else's experiences while on vacation). 

@Maggie Mae My first trip to Alaska was via cruise ship. After the cruise all I could think was that I wanted to go back to actually experience Alaska. You just don't get any perspective as a cruise ship visitor of the uniqueness of Alaska. It's just here's a shop, here's a shop, oh and here's a shop.....and possibly an excursion to some heavily touristy activity. 

@PumaLover I think you could be a vegetarian in Alaska but it might be a challenge depending on where you live. For example, the village I lived in got a barge with fresh foods once per week- but if you weren't at the grocery store they day the barge came or early the next day, the fresh foods would be sold out. There were several weeks that the barge couldn't come due to weather and you had to make do with what you had. 

When we left Alaska and went back to the lower 48, we used to just go to the grocery stores to see all the beautiful food!

Edited September 4, 2019 by Kelsey
add more thoughts

[Maggie Mae]

15 hours ago, Lizzybet said:

First off, I wasn’t whining.

Second, I have no intention of visiting Alaska or many other places, just a fact- nothing against Alaska or Alaskans which is why my took this trip alone.

You made a judgemental comment against a place you've never been. First of all, it's not true. There is some recycling in Anchorage, which is Alaska's largest city. I don't pay for curbside, but there is paper, cardboard, plastic, community composting, aluminum, and yard waste drop off stations. 

Some people take their stuff to recycling because it's free, where as trash costs money to drop at the dump or have picked up. 

It's also not exactly a priority due to questions about its effectiveness. Is it better to recycle if recycling creates more pollution? 

Outside of Anchorage, I don't know. It would be very expensive, time consuming, and use a lot of resources to move recyclable material around. So communities in Western Alaska tend to focus more on using things forever and banning single use plastics. Those bags blow around the tundra and into the ocean, so some communities banned them. We banned them in Anchorage and Wasilla. 

Could we do better? Of course. But I think the lower 48 could do better at buying less and repairing items instead of throwing them away. 

[coexist]

We were stationed in Alaska for several years when I was a teen about 26 years ago. I basically consider myself as having grown up there and I think it'll always feel a little like home to me. I know we're just taking about recycling, but @Maggie Mae your posts are making me a bit nostalgic today. I've had the privilege of living all over the world but there's something extra special about Alaska. ?

 

[tabitha2]

When I was a young thing I really wanted to visit Cicely from Northern Exposure

[viii]

8 hours ago, Kelsey said:

@Maggie Mae My first trip to Alaska was via cruise ship. After the cruise all I could think was that I wanted to go back to actually experience Alaska. You just don't get any perspective as a cruise ship visitor of the uniqueness of Alaska. It's just here's a shop, here's a shop, oh and here's a shop.....and possibly an excursion to some heavily touristy activity. 

This is me. My sole trip to Alaska has been done through a cruise line (and I had no idea the ramifications of it). I got to see Kitchikan, Junaeu, and Skagway. However, even while I was there, I remember thinking that it wasn't enough. I wanted to REALLY explore the land - I wanted to see scenes from like The Proposal. I'd be nervous to do a road trip by myself though, I've never traveled alone. Cruises make sense for me because there's more security. Maybe eventually I'd find a partner or friend willing to do it with me. 

[Maggie Mae]

13 minutes ago, viii said:

This is me. My sole trip to Alaska has been done through a cruise line (and I had no idea the ramifications of it). I got to see Kitchikan, Junaeu, and Skagway.

I've been to Ketchikan and Juneau, and cruise people are really rushed in and out. But a lot of the stuff to do only is open while there are boats in the dock, or you know someone. They also push people toward certain restaurants that aren't open year round, and use cheaper fish. 

Juneau is different because it's the capital. I also hike so I can usually find something to do. 

Quote

However, even while I was there, I remember thinking that it wasn't enough. I wanted to REALLY explore the land - I wanted to see scenes from like The Proposal.

Probably should go to Cape Cod, then, where it was filmed. 

Edit: can't edit the incorrect emoji 

??

[mollysmom]

@Maggie Mae I feel like I could sit & listen to you talk about Alaska for hours. Seriously. I love it! I'm loving this thread drift! 

[viii]

5 minutes ago, Maggie Mae said:

Probably should go to Cape Cod, then, where it was filmed. 

OMG was it really? That's too funny!