Welcome to Montana
by Kate Berry
design by Megan Crawford
published in Issue No. 13: July/August 2021
I am one of the countless transplants to call Montana “home.” My family relocated to Big Sky Country from the Seattle area in 1989, and I’m willing to bet that some might have judged us as city slickers back in the day. However, it didn’t take long for us to learn and love the culture, and I’m proud to have put my roots down here. While Montana has changed a great deal over the past three decades that I’ve lived here, one thing remains the same: it’s an incredible place to live.
Lots of people are starting to figure that out, too. Since the start of the pandemic, Montana has experienced a population growth that’s reminiscent of the boomtowns of the 1800s. I imagine that folks moving here from out of state are craving the lifestyle that we all cherish so much: friendly neighbors, wild and wide-open spaces, permission to play, and a slower pace of living. These are just a handful of the things that make Montana truly worthy of its “Treasure State” moniker.
While it can be challenging for us “local-yokels” to witness the skyrocketing real estate prices, the crowded and littered public lands, and learning to endure traffic jams, I hope that these things are just part of our growing pains. It can be hard for so many folks to get used to living in a new place, especially one that’s about as close to the Wild West as you’ll find anymore.
So to all of our new neighbors who have discovered the magic of Montana, I want to take the opportunity to welcome you here. Whether you’re just passing through or putting down roots, I want to let you know that you now have a responsibility to help keep this place an incredible place to be. With that in mind, here are a few tips for keeping Montana awesome:
