Monday, February 15, 2010

It's been over a year

I haven't updated this blog in quite some time. I've been busy to say the least.

We've been living in Montana for over a year now. After living here for over 12 months, Joe and I have come to realize that Montana isn't for us. It didn't come as a shocking revelation. We knew that moving here was going to be short-term, but at the same time, we weren't opposed to making it a permanent home.

Some folks move here and absolutely love it and never want to leave. I have met a few of these people. Good for them, but they shouldn't expect me to be excited about this state. Each place has it's ups and downs. Chicago definitely has it's share of problems but it's also a great place to live. Joe and I honestly miss living in the city, but we don't miss the high cost of living there or the congestion.

I like lists, so I made a good and bad list of living in Montana. This is totally my own opinion and from my own perspective. I don't expect everyone to agree with it.

Good:
Mountains and scenery. Wow. Southern and western Montana is beautiful to say the least. With Yellowstone only a couple hours away and Glacier NP a days drive away (from Bozeman), weekend camping trips are doable.

Slow paced life. After living in a city, it's nice not to have to rush around.

Montana State University. I actually like this school. I like the degree program, especially since it's one of a few in the nation (sustainable food systems is catching on slowly).

The snow. I like snow and we get plenty of it. Although, this winter we haven't had quite as much as years past. The middle states of the country seem to be getting hit much worse than we are. Hmmm....

Bad:
The seasons. I may like snow, but I love having 4 distinct seasons. Spring is non-existent here. It may show up for a couple of weeks but don't count out a snowstorm in May. After that, summer shows up and then when fall rolls around we might have fall-like weather for a couple of weeks but the snow starts falling in October.

Being far away from everywhere. Joe uses the VA system to treat his MS. He has to travel 2 1/2 hours to get to his neurologist and to get to the bigger VA hospital for actual medical tests. Even my cardiologist (and surgeon) are 2 hours away. Bozeman has a hospital and good doctors here but most people head to Billings for the major medical treatments.

The politics. So, it shouldn't be a secret that Joe and I are extremely liberal. Montana is a bit too conservative for us. I'll leave it at that.

Recycling. They don't recycle glass here and if they do, it isn't an easy thing to partake in. We found one glass collection site in Bozeman. The city recycles all plastics, paper, cardboard, and aluminum/tin. Glass? Ha. Good luck with that. Joe saw an ad on Craigs list from a woman who was willing to pay someone to come and take her glass bottles to Wyoming, where they recycle glass.

We've made a decision to stick it out here for another 2 years, which gives me plenty of time to finish up my degree in Sustainable Food Systems at Montana State University in Bozeman. After that, we will be moving back east, the exact location unknown. I want to attend grad school but don't know where.There's a great program at Iowa State that I'm interested in. We'll see if that works out.

All in all, it's been a positive experience so far. Joe and I are accustomed to facing challenges and new experiences.

We are looking forward to heading to Glacier National Park this summer and going back to Yellowstone at some point. The kids love camping and living here has made it easier to do.

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