Flower Gardens in late February or March

[EMTPDiver]

say flowerpecker, I'm your opposite. I'm from Alaska, raised up there and had lived there for 27 years, and just moved to Fort Worth! I can't stand it so far to be honest. Too flat and not enough climbing here, and too far from the ocean. However, I like the proximity to places such as Flower Gardens, Florida, Mexico, and others, and certainly hope to do alot of traveling now that I am here.

Now, have you lived in Dutch all 20 years?

 

[k-valve]

I lived in Alaska for 27 years and couldn't wait to leave. The only reason I stuck it out as long as I did was for the retirement. Granted you landed in as backasswards of a place as you could find, but even Ft. Worth is a major upgrade from Anchorage/Eagle River.

 

[flowerpecker]

Oh come now! This is after all THE place to be in Alaska these days, home to the Most Dangerous Catch - and who wouldn't want to live surrounded by a bunch of drunk, foul-mouthed fisherman?

Really, I just kinda' ended up out here in 1990, looking for something a little different to do, and I liked it well enough that I stayed. I never figured I'd be here almost two decades, but, well, here I am. Granted it's not necessarily the nicest place in Alaska, but I'm minutes away from diving, fishing, hiking and skiing, I've got a freezer full of salmon, halibut and crab, and I've got an awesome view of both mountains and ocean from my house. The worst part about living here (aside from the weather) is that it costs so bloody much to get off the island and into Anchorage - makes for VERY expensive dive trips!

 

[EMTPDiver]

I love Eagle River dude. I'd live my whole life in that valley if I could. More mountain climbing there than you could do two lifetimes, and natural beauty to rival Yosemite. I was quite happy there. Unfortunately my wife was not. Oh well.

 

[k-valve]

Ha...and I'd rather eat broken glass than go back to any location in AK.

Toward the end of my time there I felt like a convict that was nearing the end of his sentence. Granted Southcentral Alaska is beautiful. My problem is that the weather sucks...summer is a thing for residents to imagine since there really isn't one there, it's colder than a well digger's @$$ during the winter, it's dark, the place is filthy from the roads being covered with ice and snow and then over sanded to clear them, and there is really nothing to do unless you are interested in skiing, hunting, fishing or climbing. Oh...and the cost of living is ridiculous and the school system in Anchorage sucks too.

You're probably just experiencing a little culture shock, not being used to any culture at all. You just need to get out and make some friends and enjoy what Ft. Worth has to offer. I do feel for you if you are actually west of Ft. Worth. It's not the end of the Earth, but you can see it from there.

Maybe you and your wife should do a little traveling around the state. There are actually mountains in SW Texas, pine trees so thick and tall in East Texas that you can see nothing else, beautiful rolling hills and Live Oaks in Central Texas, and plenty of beachfront from Beaumont to Brownsville. Anything you want to do (short of snow skiing) is available to you.

If you ever have the time and inclination come on down to Austin. The diving in Lake Travis is pretty good and there is plenty to do...even if you're into the typical Alaskan outdoor activities.

 

[thevalkyry]

I had a girlfriend who lived in Alaska briefly. All she had to say was that the odds were good, but the goods were odd

 

[EMTPDiver]

Yeah, I'm looking forward to doing some traveling in state-and out of state too. A major disadvantage to AK was that it cost an arm and a leg to get out of state. That and the diving is really one-note (very interesting, but redundant).

I am much more of a mountain climber than anything else, (my greatest interests being the aforementioned skiing, hunting, fishing and climbing) and I'm never happier than when I'm on a glacier, so Texas is a bit of a shock for me. I'm the kind of weirdo that waits for the coldest, windiest day of the year and high-tails it to the summit of some peak to see if the wind can top 100 mph, all with a big dumb grin on my face. I like to see my piss freeze before it hits the ground, and I love the feeling of knowing that if I fall-I'm gonna die and they probably won't bother trying to find the body. AK is where I come alive...so I will do my best to have as much fun as I can here in TX, but I cannot see eye to eye with anyone who would trade AK for TX...no offense to any of my southern brothers here.

That said, thanks for the encouragement. I am really looking foreward to doing some diving here.