50 Things I’ve Learned Living in Alaska’s Bush

1. Cardboard boxes can be cut and formed into anything - a small trashcan, little containers, a basketball goal, tables... All you need is a razor and some duct tape!
2. Being able to do laundry is a privilege, not a necessity.
3. If water is in short supply, remember the snow. You can wash dishes in it, bath in it, drink it, and use it to ice injuries.
4. Stash up on food or you will go hungry. You can't count on good weather for groceries to get here.
5. Always be prepared and take more than you think you'll need when venturing out on the tundra - especially in winter.
6. If you find some fabric, and rip it down the middle but stop before you get to the end, voila! you have curtains. 
7. Never, never, never - I repeat, never, underestimate the weather. 
8. You will spend the best of 10 months out of the year cold, hungry, dirty, and deprived of basic necessities. Suck it up and don't complain!
9. Coffee is your friend.
10. Peanut butter is your friend, too.
11. Don't test your stupidness, because it usually wins and leaves you in a lot of pain.
12. Make sure your windows can open so you can get out of the house when you are snowed in or the door is frozen shut.
13. You'll eat almost anything if you're hungry enough.
14. Save any big, plastic bottle to pack water in - they are rarely seen and very valuable! 
15. You can never, ever have too much chap stick.
16. Goof off whenever possible. 
17. Be tough.
18. Learn to smile through all the discomfort.
19. Don't touch the river water. (It's where the honey buckets are dumped!)
20. Have as much fun as you can - not everyone gets to live in such a remote, beautiful, adventurous environment.
21. Don't get sentimental about your stuff. 
22. Find a hobby during the dark months so you don't go crazy having to stay indoors.
23. Beware of wildlife (animals and people) and have protection on you at all times.
24. Hypothermia can do crazy things to your mind...make sure someone is around to keep you in check.
25. Cold weather hurts you in ways you can't even imagine until you've been stuck in it, and although frost bite is very painful, you can handle it without pain meds or a doctor.
26. Find your outlets for anger and for freedom.
27. Running water and plumbing are not necessary for survival.
28. Good character is never letting up on a just cause, not even an ounce, even when it's certain the task will fail. Persevere. 
29. Save empty coffee cans to use as canisters. (Any empty container works well)
30. Moose, muskox, and fish are your new favorite meat. Scratch that, they're your only meat. (very tasty though)
31. Always tell someone where you're going and what time to expect you back.
32. Learn to fly by the seat of your pants.
33. Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps.
34. Have as many snowball fights as you can.
35. Shovels serve more purposes than you could imagine.
36. Accept that TV and Internet are privileges, and be grateful when you have an opportunity to see them.
37. You will use muscles you didn't know you had.
38. It's okay to test your strength, but never become too proud when you succeed.
39. Eskimos have different ways of communicating, and you'd better learn the basics if you plan on living among them.
40. You're much stronger than you think you are. (mentally and physically)
41. Respect snow machines (snow mobiles) because they will try and take your life over and over again.
42. Find your family here, because life is so much easier and much more fun with them in the picture.
43. Bring a sleeping bag and extra clothes when you travel for school, for you never know how long you will be stuck somewhere.
44. Cherish every salty shower you can get at the school because you may have to go a month without one.
45. Respect everyone and everything, even when they don't respect you.
46. When in extremely trying circumstances, you either find a way to cope and persevere or you move away.
47. When in extremely dangerous circumstances, you either find a way to get through it and keep walking or die. 
48. Learn arctic survival skills. I'm serious.
49. Listen to the advice of experienced people, but always do what you believe.
50. Know that you can never please everyone, but that's not what we're here to do. So don't give a rats foot what others think.