1. The term “Lower 48” seems like a foreign term to anyone from the mainland.

If you include this term in a sentence when referring to the contiguous states you will probably get a weird look and have to back track to explain its meaning.

2. It’s called a snow machine not a “snowmobile.”

Just take our word for it, the word “snowmobile” is almost considered bad language here.

3. “What’s the weather like in Alaska?”

Which part?... The climate in one part of the state can be vastly different from another part. If you compare the size of Alaska to the Lower 48, the northern most part of Alaska would reach Minnesota, the southwest peninsula of the state would reach California and the southeast panhandle would touch down in Florida. So as you can imagine, temperatures between parts of Alaska can vary just as significantly as the temperatures between Minnesota and Florida.

4. Tourists are easy to identify.

From a young age, every Alaskan is able to recognize our visitors. Usually, the tourists are the ones standing too close to moose and wearing down jackets in the summer.

5. Snow days are nonexistent.

There is no such thing as a snow day. A foot of snow overnight isn’t anything to get excited about.

6. Vitamin D deficiency is a real thing.

While this deficiency is rare in most other places, many Alaskans are affected by the lack of sunlight in the winter. No, it’s not a myth, it’s actually quite common for Alaskans.

7. Most reality TV shows about Alaska are sickeningly fake.

We cringe when we see a show that makes our state and our population look bad. We want viewers to watch a reality show about Alaska that is actually REAL and not scripted for filming purposes.

8. We actually have two state birds.

The ptarmigan and the mosquito are recognized as Alaska’s state birds. Although the ptarmigan is the official state bird, Alaska is home to billions of mosquitos which makes it fitting to notice a second “state bird.”

9. Bug spray is considered the Alaskan “perfume.”

The smell of the bug spray lathered on the woman you walk by in the grocery store is a typical scent. We just take necessary precautions to protect ourselves from our seemingly endless supply of mosquitos.

10. The back porch is used for freezer overflow in the winter.

When the freezer is stuffed full of fish after a successful season of fishing, the back porch is the perfect location to keep perishable food items chilled. However, this extra storage space is shared by some of our wildlife so freeze at your own risk!

11. Being asked why Alaska is cold if it is right next to Hawaii.

On some United States maps, Alaska and Hawaii are pictured in boxes off the coast of California. Believe it or not, Alaska does NOT sit in the middle of the ocean but rather connected to the Lower 48 by way of Canada. Alaska and Hawaii are separated by over 3,000 miles which is more than the difference between the east and west coasts of the mainland.

12. Hiking at midnight is a regular event in the summer.

When you live in the land of the midnight sun, it’s hard not to take advantage of an almost endless supply of sunlight.

13. Traffic jams are usually caused by wildlife.

Traffic in Alaska is not usually something you can plan for. More often than not, your vehicle will be probably be stopped by a moose or two sauntering across the highway before being stopped by any other type of traffic obstacle.

14. There’s no place quite like home.

No matter where you go, there is no place that slightly compares to the absolute beauty of the Great State.