This Californian moving to Montana (a few comments) (Missoula: low income, apartment)

[Heart]

I'm not originally from California. I was born in Alaska, lived there until I was 9 years old, moved to Washington, then on to the midwest. I did a great deal of my growing up in bitter cold winters, where life moved alot slower. Then I met my fiance' who is a born and bred Californian.

For many years, while living in the midwest I came across many people who had never set foot in California, dreamt of going there because they saw it as a place of opportunity. Not only that, many saw the SF bay area as some mecca of laid back surfer type people who are friendly. (laughs)
It was never my dream to live in California, only to move to some coastal town and live near the ocean. If it happened to be in CA where my fiance' was then I was willing to move to CA.

After moving here, I found out the hard way that the SF bay area is anything BUT laid back and friendly. I've lived here a good five years and want out. It's too manic out here. I'm not akin to a fast paced life. Don't get me started on how competitive the housing is here. It's horrible. Once I have moved to an apartment, it seems someone comes along, buys it up, gives all tenents notice to leave and I'm back out there finding a new place to go to. Never in my life, have I been so mistreated by property owners. After moving recently again, I was informed 6 months later that a company had bought the property, was converting it to low income housing and that I would have to go since I don't meet their criteria to stay. After moving so many times out here, my husband and I decided enough was enough. We can't even save money. We survive pay check to pay check. We can't ever catch up. We are the working poor, who long for a quiet place we can settle down in and call HOME. We will be moving in with family that has already moved to Montana years ago. His family live quietly and have NO desire to change what Montana is. They moved there because they love it as it is.

I have had the opportunity to go to Montana a few times. Unlike California. And let me assure you Montanans we also have NO desire to change Montana. We seek a place where we can reside among friendly people, where life moves a bit slower, and where I can raise my daughter in a place I won't have to worry about her life being touched by the increasing crime rate out here. Let me say, I'm afraid for the life of my family living out here.

No one waves to you out here as you go to work. No one seems to care. The whole mentality of living here in my experience has been, "get out of my way, don't talk to me, I don't have time for you....I don't want to know you..."
So you see, I don't want to raise my child in a place like that.

After reading so many threads about how californians have moved to Montana to "Californicate it" makes me utterly sad and disgusted.

I thought maybe the reason my initial thread didn't get a respons was because I mentioned I'm moving from CA. I wanted to openly clarify exactly why i want out of CA. It has nothing at all to do with illegal immigrants. It has nothing to do with the way the long term residents out here have voted or choose to live their lives, it has to do with me, a very displaced person who though CA was going to be a good place to live. I was wrong.

Fortunately, I have had the opportunity to visit Montana a couple of times. I love the land, I met some friendly people, and the climate. I hope to put some roots down and make it a peaceful place for us. As someone else said in another thread, I'd be HAPPY to have a small plot of land and trailer, living in peace among my fellow montanans. That is my dream.

[GiftShoppeGuy]

First order of business here is to be sure to let you know that you shouldn't ever have to feel that you should have to explain yourself to anyone for any reason when it comes to moving to a place that suits you.

Sure, we get Californians that come here all of the time, wishing to make a better life for themselves, but since they've known no other way, they eventually try to make this place to be just like the place they came from...... because, quite simply, they cannot adjust to the fantasy they've presumed for themselves in their minds with regard to Montana.
They come in here and try to change our laws, they try to change our way of life, and they try to get us to lose our ethics, because they are uncomfortable living around ethical people. They somehow can't get their minds wrapped around the fact that we won't live with un-natural behaviors or silly laws meant to babysit those who are not capable of babysitting themselves.

Yes, many who come here, come with their own agenda, attempting to change things to only suit themselves.....

But, there are many more that come here that don't do that. Many more come here and experience the type of life they've always dreamed of having. And they get on just fine.

If coming to Montana and living the good life suits you, then by golly, get on up here.... nevermind the sentiment......

as an added note, I too left western Montana for the wide open way of life here in the east. The only thing really left of western Montana... that resembles "Our Montana", is the actual mountains.... everything else is not like it once was.
California is as California does...... and lately, western Montana is more of a watered down version of California than it is anything else.

[GiftShoppeGuy]

Oh and here is an interesting little promo for Montana...

It's actually quite funny too....

http://www.giftshoppeguy.com/media/montana.wav (broken link)

[YOU-CANT-EAT-SCENERY]

Originally Posted by GiftShoppeGuy

Oh and here is an interesting little promo for Montana...

It's actually quite funny too....

http://www.giftshoppeguy.com/media/montana.wav (broken link)

That is pretty dern funny

I'm also sorry that mthuntnow feels the way he does I didn't ask to be born in Ca. I'll just make sure I don't move to your area. And by the way, I don't plan to buy a new house, I plan to buy an old house on existing property...someone moves out another moves in, thus keeping the population close to what it was. Have a nice day.

[GiftShoppeGuy]

Originally Posted by johns65vette

That is pretty dern funny

I'm also sorry that mthuntnow feels the way he does I didn't ask to be born in Ca. I'll just make sure I don't move to your area. And by the way, I don't plan to buy a new house, I plan to buy an old house on existing property...someone moves out another moves in, thus keeping the population close to what it was. Have a nice day.

Heh Heh....

I thought you might enjoy that......

[mark6052]

when some folks come to MT, they want to be part of it all but dont want to go to church, there "not that religious" Hunting? who wants to kill bambi? and the politics here are to conservative, we need tobe more progressive. the funny looks I get when I tip my hat and say hello, makes me think there used to a different one finger wave. Its the little things.

[MHT]

Originally Posted by GiftShoppeGuy

Oh and here is an interesting little promo for Montana...

It's actually quite funny too....

http://www.giftshoppeguy.com/media/montana.wav (broken link)

Actually more than funny - more like hilarious.

[fbcobrn]

http://www.giftshoppeguy.com/media/montana.wav (broken link)

Hhahaha...still laughing.Thanks, GSG

[JoeJoeMan]

Remember Montana WAS "the last best place"......I move here 35 some years ago when people were fleeing the state. It was Montana back then, western Montana now is a playbook for urban sprawl, very sad, very sad indeed to see a such beautiful place turn so ugly, sure you can still look up and see the mountains but as soon as you look down reality slaps you in the face.
The eating up of open space is akin the clear cutting of the forest and bad mining practices of yesteryear, at least the forest are growing back. And beleive me I'm no 'greenie', far from it.
If I had it all to do again today, I certainly would not move to Western Montana not even central. Very little of what I moved here for remains, it simply doesn't feel like Montana any more, it may when you are off somewheres out of the way, but it doesn't take much to bring you shortly back to reality, drive down most roads, McMansion, hobbie-ranches popping up in ever increasing number, while the guy in back of you is right on your bumper in a rush to get home and check his portfolio, or it's some kid all cranked up on meth, Nope it's all different now.
There are much nicer places in this country to move to, where you don't have to watch on a daily basis everything and reason why you move there in the first place get ruined.
Sorry for the sad note, but such is life here these days.

[Montanamomb]

Wow...I love reading all these posts!!

I moved to NW Montana from Washington state...to there, from Arizona...to there,from yep...you guessed it, California (San Jose area).

I've been in NW Montana since July 2000 and I love it...I've been around the world, and trust me...this IS the most beautiful place on Earth.

Yes, the Californians are moving up in droves...mostly just driving up the property prices around here...but for the most part, most of them are pretty conservative in nature and are just looking to "escape" like the rest of us.

Missoula has now become the "Seattle East". And Seattle has become the "San Francisco North"...so yes, it's slowly trickling in....but I don't ever see it hitting my neck of the woods.

As for where I am...I've found that every place has it's "issues"...some places just different priorities...Where I'm at it's all about the "asbestos" issue....and with that, comes Federal Bureacracy that is unbearable at times.

Do your research, and definately look before you leap. The East side is pretty...but much colder than where I'm at...it's flatter and has fewer trees...so the wind is much worse. Where I'm at, I'm protected by the mountains, so we don't get the wind and bitter cold...just gorgeous winter days

People here are friendly, and everyone knows everyone LOL...I love small town living

Good Luck