Help feeling stuck in Baton Rouge (Missoula, Bozeman: rent, crime, house)

[BJStone]

I’m feeling a bit crazy over wanting desperately to move back to Montana. A little back info I had awful parents and no stability growing up. I went to 16 schools in 9 years. Several in Missoula, Seeley Lake, BigFork and then out of State. I’ve been in Children’s shelters, foster care, bread bags under my boots, hungry, cold you name it. I was a complete free range kid but what I did have stuck with me. I played in Lakes, rivers, woods, spent a LOT of time alone and always felt connected to MT. more than any people (as a kid) I was a master at meeting what I called rich kids thanks to the lodges at Seeley I enjoyed many boat rides.
To the current situation I’ve been living in Louisiana for the last 12 years and I’ve never felt home. For the last year I have been in Baton Rouge and hate it. Great parks but that’s about it for me. Crime is crazy 32 murders this year already. Schools are awful so I am homeschooling my 4th grade son. I hate shopping and I’m not into LSU football Oh and I HATE the summer heat May- Oct.

Ok onto the questions
I would prefer a small town but I think Missoula might be a good transition for my guy. I have not been since 04 and things were a lot different than I remember but enough charm to be a major improvement.

Would it be crazy to move a family of 4 over 2,000. miles without tons of money?
Would 3-4 months worth of savings be irresponsible?

I have been a stay at home Mom for the last two years and we’ve managed a $1,300 rent on less than 40,000 a year. We have no debt what so ever
I would gladly go back to work if we moved I have 11 years of experience as a Portrait studio manager .
My guy has about the same experience in Optical Store management. He is also a great photographer and people person.

Sorry for the mess of a post but my toddler is jumping all over me and I can’t keep a straight thought

A quote I love
I fall in love with places the way I fall in love with men. Actually, that's not the precise truth. I fall deeper, more ardently in love with places than I have with any man, and will give myself over to a place in a way I have never given myself to a person.I've never felt roots, have never felt conventionally attached to family or religion or and societal group.
-Shreve Stockton

[MTSilvertip]

Welcome to the Montana board BJStone.

I was stationed in New Orleans for a while at Algiers Point, I completely understand your desire to move. Never seen such HUGE rats You could break some of them to ride!!!

Ok, it sounds like you know the Bitterroot and Misson well, so I don't think I could add a lot to that except that land is VERY expensive on that side of the divide.

Jobs are another question. While unemployment in Montana isn't as high as other areas of the country, good jobs are hard to come by, and wages are low. There are a lot of photo studios in Montana, or you might look at some of the imaging done in Bozeman in several fields. Helena has the state government and there are people who do imaging during the fire season, land surveying, maps, that kind of thing, and I do know there are a couple companies that do pretty well doing the school pictures of the kids. That is a traveling job, but it is a job.

While the public schools here are a lot better than what are normally available in most of the country, Home schooling is a good option. There are a lot of people doing that here and there is a very good network of support in the state. Our home schooled kids are doing great by and large.
If you go to some of the smaller communities, the schools there are much better than the larger schools. Big Timber for example has a science program that I would rate above just about any competition in the country. Not a great football team though, good trade as far as I am concerned
If you can swing being a stay at home mom, that IMHO is always best for the children. If you are used to being thrifty, perhaps growing your own garden, living within your means, then you will be way ahead of a lot of folks.

It would be a challenge moving a family cross country, but having 3 or 4 months of cushion is just good planning.

Wild country is available just about anywhere in the state. It is widely varied and always an adventure no matter if you are west of the divide, east of the divide, on the highline, in the southwest, on the Rocky Mountain front or the breaks and great plains.

Smaller communities offer a more family value atmosphere, but there are larger towns all across the state for socialization and access to larger events.

Keep in touch and let us know what questions you may have. There are good people here and on this board who can offer advise and suggestions for most of the state.

Good Luck

[BJStone]

Thank you for taking the time to reply. I am use to being frugal other than at the Farmers Market I am under 30 and if someone would have told me I would want to raise a family semi off grid I would have thought they were crazy. Who knew I would think back fondly to being scared to go to the outhouse at night, using a wash house & no running water lol.
To be honest I would love to live in Seeley but I have unwelcoming family that lives there so it's not a great idea.
My boyfriend is an optical manager and I know there are usually only a few places in each town. He loves his job now but he doesn't love LA. and is willing to move anywhere to make me happier (I'm a lucky girl)
I guess all the warnings about moving to MT. makes me wonder if I have winter amnesia

[Mt-7]

You only go around once, start here.
https://jobs.mt.gov/jobs/login.seek