A 23-year-old woman who moved to a remote island off Alaska expected daily life to be difficult. She thought getting basic supplies, ordering things online and travelling off the island would be far more complicated than in a city.After living there for a year, Arwa Moore has found that the island offers more everyday conveniences than she expected. Moore told Business Insider that she can buy groceries, eat at local restaurants, order items online and maintain a full-time career that depends on a reliable internet connection.“Most of all, I’ve learned that convenience doesn’t necessarily mean having endless options right outside my door,” Moore wrote, describing how her experience of island life changed her idea of convenience.Moore lives in a community of just over 5,000 people. The island is one of the largest in the US, but much of it remains untouched wilderness and it can only be reached by plane or boat.
Reliable internet made life easy
Moore has access to more local options than she expected. The island has grocery stores, coffee shops and fresh seafood stands, although there are still many things that cannot be easily found locally.Certain clothing brands, specific car parts and specialised household items may not be available in nearby shops. When that happens, Moore turns to online retailers.Amazon and other major online retailers deliver packages to the island. The main difference is the time involved. Moore may have to wait a couple of weeks. Shipping can also sometimes cost more. That mean she simply has to plan ahead when she needs something that is not available locally.Moore works as a full-time content creator, a job that requires her to film, edit, communicate and upload content regularly. Internet access was one of the things she expected could become a problem after moving to the island. However, she says her internet connection has not been an issue. Having a steady connection has allowed her to continue working without moving to a larger or more populated area.
Northern lights
Travel takes planning
There are regular flights to and from the island, but getting off the island is still not as simple as leaving a city. The nearest airport to Anchorage is about 250 air miles away, and Moore has to consider weather conditions and possible changes to her travel plans. A trip away from the island can take most of a day once connecting flights and the time needed to travel to and from airports are included.Bad weather and flight delays can make the journey much longer. Moore says she has sometimes spent more than 24 hours trying to reach a destination when travel problems have affected her plans.She has therefore learnt to plan around the possibility of long travel days. Closely watching weather conditions is part of preparing for a trip. Although this makes travel less straightforward, Moore says it does not always become the difficult experience she had imagined before moving to the island.
How she shops and eats changed
The island’s small population also means Moore has fewer choices when it comes to shopping and dining. Her community has about 5,200 people, while nearby villages take the wider population to around 12,400.But the smaller number of businesses has also created a stronger connection with the people who run them. Moore often recognises people when she is in town, including those who run local businesses. Supporting these businesses has become part of her routine, whether she is getting coffee, buying essentials or going out for a meal.She has come to value having a smaller number of familiar places. Although she has fewer choices than she might have in a large city, she knows the businesses she uses and often recognises the people working there.For Moore, that familiarity has become one of the benefits of living in a smaller community. Regularly seeing familiar faces has made her feel more connected to the place.
Outdoor life becomes routine
The natural surroundings have also changed how Moore spends her free time. Before moving to the island, she already enjoyed being outdoors. But living among mountains, water, trails and wildlife has made outdoor activities a much bigger part of her routine.She hikes, trail runs, paddleboards and explores different parts of the island. These activities do not require her to plan a separate holiday or make a long journey. If she has a few free hours, she can often simply go outside and explore.
