Probably some of the most common gripes of living in Juneau, and perhaps everywhere else outside of Anchorage, is the lack of good shopping and restaurants. Well, fortunately I do not enjoy shopping, and I am not big on eating out. Much of what I need can be bought at Fred Meyer, Safeway, and Costco. Other items can be bought on Amazon.com. Clothes shopping might be difficult online though, so I may have to start dressing down like an Alaskan, or schedule shopping time when I travel to other States. As for restaurants, I can count all of the ones I would go to on one hand. Occasionally I wish for a good Japanese restaurant, but I am one of those so-called eat-to-live people and not the live-to-eat.
Juneau also lacks choices when it comes to other things, such as pet services, gym, martial-arts training, or doctors. I am pretty much having to make do with whatever is available, and I find that ok. What they do offer here for pet services, gym, and doctors are acceptable. I only wish that I had my favorite karate school here, but I would have that problem no matter where I went except Virginia Beach where it is located.
When it comes to hobbies, I have only gotten into hiking since I had my dog to walk often and there were so many trails to try. However, I am now thinking of getting into fishing at some point. I've only done it a few times but remember enjoying it. I am sure it would be an even better experience here. Plus, it has a practical aspect in it that you can eat the fish you catch. Catching salmon yourself would be so much cheaper than buying it. Oh, and in the winter, I have yet to check out the ski slopes here, but I will have to make sure I do so next season.
I still find the scenery in Alaska to be magnificent. I was starting to take the beauty of it all for granted, but with the warmer weather arriving, the snow has melted, grasses turned green, and flowers started blooming. It's a whole different scenery now and it's great. Maybe in some years I will take it all for granted all year long. Maybe when I visit family and other built up places I'll appreciate more of the place where I live. One thing I wish Alaska did do though is build more charming homes and buildings. It's such a beautiful place here but the somewhat dumpy homes, buildings, and industrial parks that dot the towns here and there kind of ruin it for me. In this regard, I would have say that Europe has done a much better job of designing towns and villages that better fit in with the beautiful surroundings.
One of the biggest downsides here, which I do find to be an issue, is that Alaska is very far far away from the lower 48. It is a long way just to visit family and friends on the East Coast. In Juneau, the only flights going in and out are to & from Seattle or Anchorage. It's at least a whole day getting East, if not two. Coming back can be one day, but a very long one day. It's also very expensive - more expensive than any flight I have taken overseas (mostly thanks to the rising cost of airfares). I miss my family & friends a lot, which does suck. I suppose though, that even when I lived 3.5 hours drive away, I only saw my family a few times a year. I've also spent years living abroad so this really isn't much different. It's just the price I pay for being a nomad. What I may have to do here is try to find excuses for a business trip out East, or arrange some telecommuting option so that I can stay East a bit longer when I do go for a visit. I'm sure something can be worked out where I will still see family & friends few times a year.
While the remoteness of Alaska keeps people in, it also keeps people out. The population of Alaska has remained relatively low. So low you might struggle make new friends with someone who shares your same interest. There are benefits to being remote and sparsely populated. There's no long lines anywhere, or traffic on the streets. You can get trails and beaches all to yourself. It's the ultimate getaway without having to get away. Most people go to places like this to get away because they live a hectic life in a crowded place. I suppose in my case I would have to get away when I feel like I need to go to a big city to be part of the crowd and go shopping.
All in all I think Juneau is a wonderful place to live. Then again, summer is the best time to be here. The temperatures have been just how I like it (not too hot) and it has not been raining so much. It's so perfect right now. I suppose I'll have to write another post a year later though to see how I cope with the rainy fall and cold winters. Stay tuned.
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