Having the opportunity to live in the last frontier is a beautiful blessing but it certainly does not come without its challenges. The long winters, harsh weather and abundance of tourist traffic in the summer can make things a bit questionable at times. The struggles are all very real folks, but they’re 100% worth tolerating to live in this magical place.

1. When you have to be at work for a 9am meeting, but a moose keeps you trapped inside your house.
Flickr - Travis
Sorry boss!
2. When you get off work at 5pm but don’t make it home until 9pm, because of insane traffic on the highway.
Flickr - Travis
Looks like we'll be having frozen burritos for dinner, kids!
3. When you try to pack light for a weekend getaway, but then you remember that the weather changes at the drop of a dime so you literally need to bring an extra bag just for “layering” purposes.
Flickr - ChrissyJ
And you feel like a big marshmallow walking around.
4. When you get super excited about an awesome new fishing spot, only to have a bear steal it from you.
Flickr - Ray Morris
Communal fishing at it's finest. Hope those silly humans don't go under!
5. When you realize that all of the cool toys you own can only actually be used a few months a year.
Flickr - Travis
So we'll need to have a boat, snowmachine, camper, four wheeler, side by side, maybe another boat and... now we have something for each month of the year.
6. When you have an emergency but then realize that because of your remote location, it will take responders an ungodly amount of time to actually get to you.
Flickr - Bureau of Land Management
Better brush up on your CPR skills.
7. When you get excited about having a garden, only realize that it’s just an open invitation for a moose buffet.
Flickr - Jeff Wasson
But they are so cute you just can't be angry.
8. When you actually have to choose between locally caught wild salmon, king crab, fresh prawns, scallops or fresh halibut.
Flickr - LH Wong
The "seafood snob" struggle is like, really real.
9. When you realize that it’s super expensive to fly anywhere from Alaska, so you better be investing in an Alaska Airlines card to get those companion tickets and to rack up the miles.
Flickr - Andrew W. Sieber
Gas, groceries and everything in between. Those 3 for 1 points add up quick!
10. When the weather is finally warm enough to enjoy, you realize that your favorite secluded spots have been invaded by tourists.
Flickr - Peter Lee
Can't un-see them. They're everywhere. Everywhere I tell you!
11. When you realize that even though you’re dead tired, you won’t get any sleep if the Northern Lights are out.
Flickr - Andrew Petersen
Because this is Alaska and you’ll feel guilty if you don’t soak in the magical moments.
12. When you go for a hike and come back to your car, only to realize that you’re now encroaching on bear territory.
Flickr - Zach
All you want is a little R&R!
13. When you open your door after a storm only to have snow pour into your house.
Flickr - Tom Doyle
Like one big giant ice box. And no, this doesn't classify as an igloo.

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14. When you’re constantly going to friends’ going away parties, because Alaska is such a revolving door.
Flickr - Travis
Now to quote an inspirational boy band, "bye, bye, bye!"
15. When you realize that if the salmon run isn’t strong, you might not have enough food to make it through the winter.
Flickr - Joseph
No more fun and games. This struggle is life or death.
16. When it’s February and you’ve dealt with coldness and darkness for the past several months, and you need a tropical vacation STAT or you’ll probably go haywire.
Flickr - Samir Luther
Palm trees and soft sand... get me there NOW!
17. When you live in a remote area and realize that you better have good pantry space, otherwise that trip to the city to “stock up” just isn’t worth the price in fuel.
Flickr - beadwoman
Say hello to my cache!
18. When you wake up on a cold morning and realize that your car doesn’t start because you forgot to plug it in last night.
Flickr - James Brooks
Doh!
19. When you muster up enough motivation to get outside for a run, only to be detoured by massive wildlife invading your path.
Flickr - jdegenhardt
They always have the right-a-way...
20. When you realize that suddenly none of your doors or windows are properly aligned after an earthquake.
Flickr - Caitlin Marr
Inside and outside. The levelness is now gone with the wind.
21. When you’re online shopping and then realize that after shipping costs the item will be more than double what it is actually worth.
Flickr - Intel Free Press
Well that was a lovely waste of time now wasn't it!
22. When you have a hard time focusing on the road because the views are totally and completely mind blowing.
Flickr - Lisa Matlock
So pretty, eeeeek!
23. When you realize after a month of exhaustion that if you want any sleep during the summertime, you better invest in some good blackout curtains.
Flickr - robina
Must. Get. Sleep.
24. When you realize that the cost for staple grocery items will quickly break the bank.
Flickr - Travis
If you live in the bush, we know you hear this loud and clear.
25. When you spend two weeks in the backcountry looking for wild game to harvest, only to not see a single animal.
Flickr - Bureau of Land Management
Words cannot fully express the level of unhappiness. Just one big giant waste of time.
26. When you want to just be lazy and veg out on a summer day, only to realize that you’ll be wasting one of the limited days of actual “good weather” that you’ll have all year.
Flickr - Visions Service Adventures
The sun guilt struggle is REAL.

If you can relate to those, you’ll definitely be able to relate to these 25 things that are actually really frustrating about living in Alaska. But then again, these 26 surprising things you might not expect when moving to Alaska will quickly make you realize why you love the magical last frontier so much.

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