In the frozen wilderness of the Alaskan Arctic, where the sun barely rises in winter and the night stretches endlessly, lies Kotzebue—a town like no other. With a population of just over 3,000, this remote town is surrounded by ice, snow, and wildlife, from polar bears and wolves to grizzly bears and Dall sheep. It's a place where life is tough, but the spirit of community is stronger than any harsh winter.
Grant Magdanz, 30, grew up in Kotzebue. Even now, years after moving away to pursue a career as a software engineer in Los Angeles, the memories of his childhood are as vivid as the stark landscape of his hometown. "It is a fantastic place to grow up," Grant says, his voice tinged with nostalgia. "There was a lot of freedom growing up. It's a very safe town, and I used to run around with my friends. We played sports and cycled around the city."
An Adventure Every Day
In a place where the weather can dip to a soul-crushing -40 degrees, adventure is never hard to find. For Grant and other kids in Kotzebue, life was about more than just staying warm; it was about living fully in the great outdoors. “My mom loved to be outside, and when the weather was good, we would go hiking, camping, and sledding,” Grant recalls, his voice lighting up with the memory. "I think it's an excellent place for a kid to grow up, and you didn’t always need to have adult supervision."
Unlike cities where kids often stay indoors, Grant’s childhood was filled with wide-open spaces and boundless exploration. The streets of Kotzebue were safe enough for children to roam freely, with nature as their playground. It wasn’t just about playing outside—it was about learning how to survive and thrive in a wild, unpredictable environment.
A High Cost of Living
But for all the beauty of life in Kotzebue, there’s a price to pay—literally. Everything in the town, from food to fuel, must be flown in from Anchorage or shipped in by barge from Seattle—over 2,000 miles away. And the cost is steep. A loaf of bread? $9. A gallon of milk? $12. Butter? $9. "It is expensive because everything must always be flown in from Anchorage," Grant explains. "People hunt and fish, and the diet that people eat is based on what they have hunted. People are not just eating out from the grocery store."
In a town where polar bears roam the outskirts and the horizon stretches endlessly, the basics of life come at a premium. For the people of Kotzebue, survival isn’t just about buying groceries; it's about maintaining the ancient ways of hunting, fishing, and gathering from the land. "People eat a lot of white fish, sii fish, and salmon, as well as caribou and moose," Grant says. “It’s a lifestyle that's been passed down through generations.”
Community Over Everything
But the high cost of living, the bitter cold, and the isolation don’t dampen the sense of community in Kotzebue. In fact, they amplify it. Life here isn’t about rushing from one task to the next; it’s about family, friends, and neighbors looking out for one another. “People are very communal, and that is largely important to people,” Grant says. “People work, but their work life isn’t their identity and is not a huge part of their life. You are interconnected, and families are scattered across the area."
Grant fondly recalls how everyone knew each other in Kotzebue. When times were tough, the community came together. “When my dad died, people knew, and they were compassionate about these things. They would share stories about my dad—some people we didn’t even know,” he says with a quiet smile.
The Peace of Home
While Grant now lives in the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles, he still feels the pull of Kotzebue. “In hindsight, it is a great place to raise and be a kid,” he reflects. "My experience living in a city is that I feel more anxious about life and there's more to be stressed about. But when I return home, I notice that I feel peace and am more grounded in that lifestyle."
There’s something about Kotzebue—the wild beauty, the extreme challenges, the tight-knit community—that stays with you long after you leave. For Grant, the town is more than just a place; it’s a part of who he is. "It's a fantastic place to grow up. People there live a life full of purpose, community, and a deep connection to the land."
As the cold winds howl across the frozen tundra and wolves prowl the edges of town, the people of Kotzebue continue to live their lives with a resilience forged in the Arctic’s unforgiving embrace. And for those like Grant, who’ve left but never truly said goodbye, the lessons of Kotzebue—community, survival, and a love for the wild—will always be a part of who they are.
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