maybe a future resident (Bozeman, Livingston: apartment complex, insurance, find a job)

[directedbywind]

I have been looking for the possibility of moving west for a bit now and am considering Montana and just sort of want to know more about it.

Me: 22 yr old ASE certified mechanic, enjoy motorcycling, waterskiing, and the outdoors (the real outdoors as in the western us' truly remote outdoors)

desired location: small town, I have lived in suburbs and cities my whole life and now live a cookie cutter apartment complex, at 22 I can tell you it is not for me. I am more than happy to commute up to 30 miles a day to work and 30 miles back (love cycling all year, any weather.) Obviously it would be easier to find work in a larger town or city and I allready cave to the fact that I will likely have to work in a more populated area, thats life though, its how money and jobs work. Living wise I would like to live in a small quaint town with no more than 3k people, I just need some space and elbow room. Unlike most 22 year olds the thought of no nightclub or place to get laid every night does not scare me. I would like just a quiet out of the way town...this town being 30 or so miles from a good place to possibly find a job.

i want to get to know the townspeople, I hoping to find montana (or whereever i end up) a slow paced easy going culture that is more of a lifestyle than a place on a map.

I like cold and snow too so that would be a bonus

Thanks for any information as it is much appreciated p.s. to anyone who may ask yes i have been to montanta!

[ElkHunter]

Welcome to the Montana Forum. Montana is a great state, but I'll allow the locals to chime in, just wanted to welcome you.

[happiness is]

Well, it is a big state with lots of choices. The western part is mountains and forests, the eastern part is the plains. Can you narrow down what you are looking for so we can make suggestions?

H.I.

[NDak15]

Your criteria will enable you to enjoy most of the state. The next question is, do you prefer prairies or mountains?

[Montana Griz]

Originally Posted by directedbywind

............I have been looking for the possibility of moving west for a bit now and am considering Montana and just sort of want to know more about it...........

Me:22 yr old ............enjoy motorcycling, and the real outdoors as in the western us' truly remote outdoors) .................

I am more than happy to commute up to 30 miles a day to work and 30 miles back >>>>>>(love cycling all year, any weather.)<<<<<<<<< ........................ I just need some space and elbow room........................ I would like just a quiet out of the way town.........

I like cold and snow too so that would be a bonus

p.s. to anyone who may ask yes i have been to montanta!

..............OK, I think we've got an idea of "where you're comin' from"

If you don't mind, let me comment on a few of the above "quotes" from your post:..................

Oh, re your being an ASE Certified Mechanic........IF you end up finding a mechanic's job here in Montana, ASE or not, IMHO you're looking at $10 to $14 dollars/hr..............................how does that compare to your area??

Since you "love cycling all year and love cold and snow".....consider the following:

Let's say you end up with a 30 minute commute to your job........it's mid-January.....it's zero degrees, the wind is blowing 15 mph and the "snow covered highway" will limit your speed to 45 mph on your Harley.

That computes out to a wind chill of 33 degrees below zero
These conditions by the way, would be quite common in the winter months.

Now if it's a little more severe, let's say: when you leave for work and it's minus 10 with the wind still just blowing at 15 mph & you're still able to go 45 mph................the wind chill now is: minus 48 below zero!!

Considering that human flesh begins to freeze within ONE minute at 'minus 20'........I think the bike would not be a suitable means to commute to work.

I know you mentioned that you've been to Montana................was it during one of our winter months? (winter can last up to 6 months)

Please don't take offense at what might appear as a "smart a$$ type of response" to your inquiry. I just think you might want to consider ALL the ramifications of what you've outlined as related to your thoughts of how, where and why you want to relocate to Montana. Good luck.

[directedbywind]

Originally Posted by WyoEagle

Your criteria will enable you to enjoy most of the state. The next question is, do you prefer prairies or mountains?

actually i would prefer a place kind of where the mountains and plains kind of meet...I love mountains but the serenity of the plains is something i can definetly appreciate

[directedbywind]

Originally Posted by Montana Griz

..............OK, I think we've got an idea of "where you're comin' from"

If you don't mind, let me comment on a few of the above "quotes" from your post:..................

Oh, re your being an ASE Certified Mechanic........IF you end up finding a mechanic's job here in Montana, ASE or not, IMHO you're looking at $10 to $14 dollars/hr..............................how does that compare to your area??

Since you "love cycling all year and love cold and snow".....consider the following:

Let's say you end up with a 30 minute commute to your job........it's mid-January.....it's zero degrees, the wind is blowing 15 mph and the "snow covered highway" will limit your speed to 45 mph on your Harley.

That computes out to a wind chill of 33 degrees below zero
These conditions by the way, would be quite common in the winter months.

Now if it's a little more severe, let's say: when you leave for work and it's minus 10 with the wind still just blowing at 15 mph & you're still able to go 45 mph................the wind chill now is: minus 48 below zero!!

Considering that human flesh begins to freeze within ONE minute at 'minus 20'........I think the bike would not be a suitable means to commute to work.

I know you mentioned that you've been to Montana................was it during one of our winter months? (winter can last up to 6 months)

Please don't take offense at what might appear as a "smart a$$ type of response" to your inquiry. I just think you might want to consider ALL the ramifications of what you've outlined as related to your thoughts of how, where and why you want to relocate to Montana. Good luck.

thanks for the reply! yea i realize the cold part, i have a truck which i would use when it got into the 20s probably.

As for my visit it was to miles city area in early june so that was basically summer on the plains which i am sure is a bad represenative of winter on higher plains closer to mountains I would like a town with views in addition to being small and quiet, hope i am not asking for too much?

[rambrush]

Montana has so many towns and cities that could fill your ticket. The Griz has covered some of the downfalls etc.

I was also a ASE certified Master tech shortly after high school it was a great ticket to have and I could pull up roots and move on somewhere else as someone was always looking for technicians. (But working flat rate etc. there is not always a guarantee you will have a steady income). But after awhile I burned out switched to Structural and Wildland fire fighting and then back into facility maintenance and repair.
So keep in mind you are still young and may or may not burn out and end up looking at switching careers, is there a opportunity where you are going to relocate to switch things up or would you need to move on again?

[SCGranny]

You might try looking for a small town that only has one mechanic.

We live in a town of 145 people, surrounded by ranches and ranchers. The next town with a mechanic is 40 miles away. Our local mechanic ( a really great guy) is 70 years old; gets up every morning to open the garage at 8, works on everyone's trucks, cars, even tractors, and closes at 6. Yet he gets up to haul cars out of ditches in blizzards, go out and start dead ones on the ranches, even in the middle of the night. He has been trying to train kids around here for several years, even has offered to pay for their ASE certification - but so far, no takers. All he wants is someone to help him and take the load off - and gradually take over the business. As in Montana, the pay is not comparable to larger areas, but the cost of living (except for fuel) is pretty low. Oddly, no mechanic seems to want this - they all want to own their own shop or set their own hours, and none want to live this far out (150 miles from the closest interstate or WalMart). Apparently the tradeoffs aren't worth it.

In a rural area, as the only mechanic, you will be on call in emergencies 24/7. You won't have the amenities or much of a night life. Local folks drive everything from brand-new 4WD diesels to 30 year old rustbuckets, and every one of them has to be kept in top running condition. You might have to help work on local school buses, fire trucks, or even postal delivery trucks that have been beat to heck being driven for hundreds of miles a week. Getting your supplies in will cost you more than in a city where you are part of a series of stops. You might have to wait until someone sells their calves to get paid. You might be accused of charging too much for parts and the work that you do. Unless you have family around you, it might be a pretty lonely existence until you make friends, and it is hard to make friends because you and everyone works long hours. You can't take a lot of time off or two weeks' vacation, because you might be needed. You might go several weeks without a repair or maintenance job - and then have six weeks' of work dumped on you at once. You'll have to know how to bill out-of-state as well as in-state insurances for wrecks, and know that they are slow to pay. Even if you are closed on Christmas Day or Thanksgiving, if someone needs you, they will probably call you at home. You can consider this as being a vital part of the community - or as a big pain in the - well, you know. There won't be a business manager or even a secretary to do all of the legal and purchasing and billing paperwork required for your business - unless you can find a smart and friendly mate to marry and help you out!

If you know all of this and are willing to do something like this anyway, then look around smaller towns and see if there is someone like that in an area in which you are interested.

[happiness is]

Where the mountains and plains meet, check out

Livingston

Bozeman

Belgrade

White Sulphur Springs

Big Timber

Red Lodge

There are smaller towns, but going smaller would make it harder to find work.
In Belgrade, a town close to Bozeman, there is Yellowstone Harley Davidson, which you might enjoy.
Montana Motorcycle Dealer, Yellowstone Harley-Davidson
In Red Lodge there is Beartooth Harley Davidson.

Hope that helps.

H.I.