These are illustrative stories — composites drawn from the kinds of moves Alaskans make every year, written to show what the decision and the logistics actually look like. Names and details are not real people. Have your own story? Share it with us.
People from Anchorage talk about driving out. From Juneau, there's no road. Southeast is its own puzzle: everything leaves by ferry or by barge.
We drove our car onto the Alaska Marine Highway ferry to Bellingham. It was about three days with a cabin, and I'd recommend the cabin to anyone who values sleep. Our household goods went separately on a freight barge to Seattle.
The ferry was the stressful part. Summer sailings with vehicle space sell out months ahead, and we'd started too late. We got lucky with a cancellation, refreshing the booking page every morning for two weeks. I don't recommend that as a strategy.
Because our goods rode on an open-deck barge, we rain-proofed everything. Plastic wrap, garbage bags inside boxes, the works. Southeast rain is not a theory.
By the time we rolled off the ferry in Bellingham we were exhausted, and we still had the drive to Portland ahead. We pushed through. Big mistake — we arrived cranky and didn't unpack for two days.
Portland feels right for us. It rains, which makes it feel a little like home.
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