One Year

It's been one year since I moved to Montana - one year a at new job - one year away from an amazing group of friends - one year further from my family than I've ever been.

I learned that:

• I'm really good at program planning (or, re-learned that - I think I knew that in college.)
• I dislike basement apartments
• I like smaller towns
• How to write grants
• I like designing infographics
• I am perfectly okay spending a good amount of time by myself
• However, I still need community (But that community/friends like I had in DSM take time.)
• How to ride my bike with no hands.

What I'd do differently:

• Try more churches - I only visited three throughout the year, settled into one, and then never really felt like I had a part there, and eventually just gave up all together
• Have more of a stable morning routine - especially when the churches fell through - I read for a while, and that was lovely, but then I fell out of that. I think living above ground will help with that again.
• Write more - I had plenty of free time this past year, and I could have spent much more time writing. Now that grad school is looming, I wish I had more time to write (non-academically.) It's one of those things that will continually be pushed to the side for other life priorities, and I wished I'd utilized my time this past year a little better - as in, did I really need to watch all of Doctor Who? (Yes, yes I did. But none-the-less, I still could have written more.)

What I'll miss:

• No humidity
• Dry snow
• The climate controlled basetment
• No mosquitos (in the valley - they're terrible in the mountains, so I must be specific.)
• Bluebird days
• My co-workers, who gave me so many opportunities, challenged me and taught me so much about non-profit and community work.

Don't you worry Montana, I have a strong feeling that I'll be back after this next adventure. We're not done with each other yet.

Two Completely Unrelated Things.

I received the cutest birthday gift in the mail today.

It's a fake piece of cake. Amazing.

The best part is, this is literally how it was mailed. No box, just one side stamped.


In unrelated facts about Montana: it is expensive to buy a house here. As in, the state as a whole, but even more-so in the Bozeman area. Not that I'm anywhere near buying a house. But it does cross my mind, especially when I'm feeling rather, how do I say it...directionless? in my life.

A house that I really want in Des Moines:

Just down the street from my old house. Big yard, garage (a rare thing in Sherman Hill,) a shed, two beds and one bath. All for $100,000. It's a little cozy square foot wise, but trust me, after this apartment, I wouldn't mind. It really is a super cute house.

You know what $100,000 could get me in Bozeman?

Well as far as I can tell, nothing. If I get outside of Bozeman, I may find something close to what I could afford, like this place for $145,000. (I'd do that.)

But actually in town? The best I could find was this condo at $119,000.

Uh. No thanks.

So for those of you who are worried that I might just stay in Montana forever: Don't worry too much. I don't want to rent the rest of my life. And unless I meet a rich cowboy real soon, I won't be able to afford anything but rent.

A Montana Moment

I had the most the most Montana-esque moment last night when invited over to an acquaintances' house for burgers.

1. The directions (she lives out of town) included: "look for the large stump mailbox to turn at" "if you see the monkey on the motorcycle, you've gone too far" and "our driveway is about half a mile long." 

2. I had to open and shut two gates just to make it through said driveway, dodge grazing cattle (and cow patties,) and cross a wooden bridge.

But the burgers were amazing.

Glacier National Park

Go. If you ever get the chance, go. It's worth every minute.

We go to the mountains & do three things: We come back alive, we come back friends, & we go to the top. In that order.
— Roger Baxter-Jones

One Week

Technically, I've been in Montana for exactly seven days. Though I've really only been in Bozeman for three of those. So really, my conclusions on a state, or even the city are likely inconclusive...but at this moment, I love it.

I hiked a mountain.

This photo does make Mt. Helena look shockingly epic. But I think most mountain photos do that. In reality, we were just over a mile high. But we gained 1,300' from where we started! So that's a lot of elevation gain, especially since a good number of us were at sea level-ish the day before.

As for Bozeman, it might just be one of the cutest towns ever. I keep on walking around and falling more in love, every single time. My wee apartment is two houses away from a little park, and the neighborhood as a whole I would say has a smaller Sherman Hill feel. The houses are smaller, and there is a mix of old and new, but there is a similar indie vibe going on. 

Though, after tonights walk, I just think it might be the whole town with that vibe (except for the new west half of town.) 

I came home, made dinner, and then was going to work on finding homes for all the random things that don't have one yet (and find my blasted bookbag; seriously, how can I misplace it here?) But as has happened every other day, I just think of how much time I'll spend inside in the winter, and I just can't stay in here any longer - I just have to be outside. So I walked to the atm to deposit some money. And then I just kept on walking. I stopped by one of the bike shops, on the hunt for cute grocery panniers. Then I ended up at the very local grocery store (Heebs.) I bought a block of cheese, because I'm almost out. Then I continued on to the library, where I discovered a small sculpture garden, and a wonderful park that stretches from behind the library down to the hospital. The nice part was, it's up on the bluff, so you can see a nice view of downtown, and the forest to the north. The sun was setting, and it was just perfect. 

On my way down, I walked along the south side of Main, which I hadn't walked at all - I found the park where the Farmer's Market meets, and decided (This is really where I was going with this) that South of Main is pretty cute and artsy like the North side. Same sort of small, unique houses, with lots of trees and tons of people out walking and biking.

Yesterday we hiked the M trail, whose trailhead is only four miles from  my doorway. So if that's not incentive to visit...