In previous posts, I raved about Alaska’s beauty and untouched serenity.  I rambled on about pure Alaskan activities and I evoked images of the mighty last frontier.  This is all good and dandy, but in this post I hope to lay raw some sides of Alaska that are inexplicably more “real,” because, after all, this website is called The Real Alaska.

When looking at photos of Alaska, people see the colossal Mt. McKinley, they see charming fishing villages, and they see grandiose landscapes lined with the glowing northern lights, but this, unfortunately, isn’t always what the “real” Alaska is about.  What many don’t realize, is that Alaska has an intense rough complexity that induces a specific type of culture that is incredibly unique.

At times, this distinctive society left me feeling like I was in a completely different country all together.

In order to truly portray my point with regards  to how dissimilar Alaska is compared to what many imagine, it will require an immense amount of stereotyping.  I take 100% responsibility for this as my opinion based solely on my experiences and acquired knowledge from living in Alaska and in New York.

Though this topic is slightly heavier than my typical exclamatory and joyful posts, I do indeed wish to still maintain a sense of silliness, which is why I am going to compare Homer, Alaska, to New York City.  Yep, you heard me correctly.

Why the big apple?  First, because I lived in New York City as well as attended what some may term a yuppie east coast private college that bred its students to blossom and boom in the city that never sleeps.  Second, because for some reason, while living in Alaska, it reminded me more than anywhere else of New York.  Seriously odd, as I am sure many of you are thinking at this point, but that’s what I hope will make this article so entertaining!

In the next three posts I hope to create a series that presents a type of cross-cultural comparison between New York City and Homer, Alaska, in hopes of creating a clear picture of what authentic Alaskan culture sometimes involves.

The first post of the series will begin with persona, the second and third will discuss diversity and wealth, and the latter post will give concrete examples from personal experiences.

Persona

New Yorkers are badass.  They walk, talk, and act like they are on top of the world.  Well they are, after all, New Yorkers. In New York you have to walk the streets like you are the next best thing.  You have to personify the “don’t even try to mess with me” attitude.

This classic New York personality has developed from the regions high demanding social environment.   These high social demands are in every sector of New York ranging from jobs, to volunteer work, to hobbies, to sports, to socializing.  Everyone is constantly under pressure to “succeed.”  This drive to achieve creates an overtly competitive atmosphere that can be quite cut throat.  So in order to survive mentally, New Yorkers have to take on this disposition of being incredibly tough, and incredibly implacable.

Alaskans are badass too and emanate a similar persona, though not because of their social environment, but because of their physical environment.  This harshness comes from how extreme their lives can be.  Extreme meaning, most Alaskan families survive off of subsistence fishing/hunting/farming, live in absurdly severe weather environments,* and endure darkness for a good chunk of the year.

On top of the already listed arduous physical demands, Alaskans can also lead exceptionally isolated lives.  People don’t really understand how large Alaska is—Texas, California, and Colorado combined can all fit into this massive state—with towns thousands of miles away from anything resembling civilization.  Even Homer, Alaska, which is located only four hours south of Anchorage, can feel rather isolated.  Homer lacked decent wireless Internet at most locations, though not to the dismay of various locals who did not even own a computer or knew how to use the Internet.  The town had nothing resembling a decent place to buy clothes unless you wanted to drive far away, and acquired movies at the local theatre well after they came out in the lower 48.

Due to this remoteness, Alaskans can lead rather jaded lives, and, like New Yorkers, they can display an air of staggering toughness.

Conclusion:  Where life is more demanding, whether it is socially or environmentally, people can develop more robust personalities.

*As for severe weather environments, it is standard for the average winter temp in Fairbanks to hover around -35 degrees, for places like Cold Bay out on the Aleutians to see only 3 days of sun per year, and for coastal communities like Seward to get hammered by rain day in and day out.