If you’ve been following the blog, you have read about all sorts of things I think are neat about Montana, and chances are, you’ve already decided to come. So, welcome. All those past posts were simply a lead-up to a bigger project, a bigger idea that will serve the people who already live here, and all the people soon to arrive. The project is called MT 365. For the next year, starting September first, we will be bringing you something to do. Every. Single. Day. All the

Many people buy homes because of the view. That factor alone can often rule out size, location, and condition. It makes sense. Even a tree fort becomes habitable if you can wake up off the hard floor each morning and look out at something that gets your heart racing. And while lots of people in Montana would probably prefer to live in a tree fort, but don’t worry about that just yet. The cool thing about houses here is they all seem to have windows that also serve as feat

I’ve been here before. I’ve stared distantly off into these purple mounded mountains at other times in my life, like I’m doing now. They jut from the flat valley floor like half-crumpled wads of paper; 360 degrees of pine-green-blanket, postcard-level scenery. It all feels so familiar. A warm breeze pushes me gently through my days, easing me back into a home I left behind. I’m happy to be back, happy to stare out at the city of my upbringing through eyes and spirit that

Now that you’re here, first things first. Have a barbecue. And once that’s done, assuming you didn’t get hired ahead of time, begin the job hunt. It shouldn’t be hard, Montana’s economy is strong, and growing continuously. The first and best place to look is still the local newspaper. On the back pages, you’ll find plenty of listings, from manual labor to finance to tech positions. It’s a strange and unexpected economy here, blending facets of Montana’s agricultural roo

So, you’ve decided to do it. After taking the mountain lions and harsh winters and lack of skyscrapers into account, you’ve decided that Montana is the place to be. Bravo. Congratulations on the best decision of your life. The question becomes “what’s next?” Personally, to save space, I recommend selling all of your flat screen televisions. You won’t need them here. Or, if you do have the space, bring them along. They’ll make great targets for the new rifles that I’m g

People have asked me--upon learning that I live in Montana--if I ride a horse to school, if I go to the bathroom in an outhouse, if we have running water, and if I’ve seen a bear attack. It’s always funny to see the confusion on their face when I tell them I’ve never owned a horse and that in fact, my favorite way to go to the bathroom is not in an outhouse, but against a tree, under the stars. I usually disregard the water question, and play up the bear sightings, going on