Montana Calling...

[NDak15]

Originally Posted by mrwumpus

To the OP, I have lived in MT four years. The best reasons I see for moving to MT are:

- to get away from crowds and traffic
- to immerse yourself in big unspoiled nature
- to escape governmental micromanaging
- to do your own thing and be your own person and not have people bug you about that

For everything else you seek, there are far better places, but I don't think there are better places if the things above are what you seek.

I would agree with the first three, but honestly, I disagree with the fourth. I ran into a lot of extremely nosy people in Montana who questioned virtually everything I said and did. I did not find the live and let live attitude to be as prevalent as others say on here.

[mrwumpus]

Originally Posted by NDak15

I would agree with the first three, but honestly, I disagree with the fourth. I ran into a lot of extremely nosy people in Montana who questioned virtually everything I said and did. I did not find the live and let live attitude to be as prevalent as others say on here.

Where were you? I'm in Kalispell and haven't seen that at all. The natives in particular very much keep to themselves. Live and let live is the dominant spirit here, and that even extends to the Jr. High and High Schools in our experience.

Small town society has its cons for outsiders anywhere you go. People like me who grew up in suburbs where everyone came from somewhere else simply do not understand it. It takes time to truly understand and appreciate what it must have been like to spend your entire life in a small place that hardly changed and then watched boisterous outsiders swarm in and behave like they own the place.

So for #4, I should have qualified that in order to truly enjoy being a free spirit here, you have to respect the locals and their core values. If you insist on running around with your politics on your sleeves and car bumpers, for example, expect a lot of cold shoulders. You have to earn respect and play by some rules, so in that sense this isn't a Haight Ashbury free for all.

[NDak15]

Originally Posted by mrwumpus

Where were you? I'm in Kalispell and haven't seen that at all. The natives in particular very much keep to themselves. Live and let live is the dominant spirit here, and that even extends to the Jr. High and High Schools in our experience.

Small town society has its cons for outsiders anywhere you go. People like me who grew up in suburbs where everyone came from somewhere else simply do not understand it. It takes time to truly understand and appreciate what it must have been like to spend your entire life in a small place that hardly changed and then watched boisterous outsiders swarm in and behave like they own the place.

So for #4, I should have qualified that in order to truly enjoy being a free spirit here, you have to respect the locals and their core values. If you insist on running around with your politics on your sleeves and car bumpers, for example, expect a lot of cold shoulders. You have to earn respect and play by some rules, so in that sense this isn't a Haight Ashbury free for all.

I lived near Bozeman and Kalispell and found people and continue to find people very nosy. And when did I say I wasn't respecting core values and being political?

[mrwumpus]

Originally Posted by NDak15

I lived near Bozeman and Kalispell and found people and continue to find people very nosy. And when did I say I wasn't respecting core values and being political?

You did not, but it's one of the things here I've noticed that bothers them.

What do you mean by nosy?

[NDak15]

Originally Posted by mrwumpus

You did not, but it's one of the things here I've noticed that bothers them.

What do you mean by nosy?

Needing to know everything you're doing all the time and every detail of your life. It's very noticeable compared to North Dakota where I am now.

[mrwumpus]

Originally Posted by NDak15

Needing to know everything you're doing all the time and every detail of your life. It's very noticeable compared to North Dakota where I am now.

That's weird. I moved in to two places in Kalispell and in both instances one of the neighbors next to me never even introduced themselves.

[NDak15]

Originally Posted by mrwumpus

That's weird. I moved in to two places in Kalispell and in both instances one of the neighbors next to me never even introduced themselves.

In both cases it was coworkers. I've had that same experience with neighbors you had everywhere I've lived.