Montanan Xenophobia

Before we decided to make the trek to Montana, I did some research to see what problems, hurdles, and obstacles we might encounter during a relocation. I frequently came across lists of reasons why people should not move to Big Sky Country. The reasons are always some form of "you can't hack frontier life." It's too cold, there's too much snow, you'll get eaten by bears, trampled by moose, bitten by snakes, or chewed on by some grizzled mountain man. If it is not fearmongering about the dangers of the wild west, it's a frank warning about economic depression and a lack of employment. Sometimes it's just plain unhospitality, "Get off my lawn!" This is in sharp contrast to a recent Gallop poll where Montanans (along with Alaskans) rated their state the best place to live in the US.

Clearcutting makes me sad...

Ever Encroaching Horde of Humanity

I understand it. There are definitely plenty of city slickers who could get themselves or others killed with their lack of respect for untamed mother nature. Then there are the rich elite who have managed to drive up real estate prices and create expansive, private fiefdoms that rail against the Montanan culture of accessible public land. From my experience, Montanans embrace the outdoor lifestyle; it's very similar to the Scandinavian concept of friluftsliv. More people mean less wild which erodes the very reasons everyone loves Montana.

I mourn the loss of empty spaces even here in the midwest. I'd much rather see fields of corn and soybeans than claustrophobic, cookie-cutter subdivisions. It really cuts my psyche to see trees felled under the chainsaws of ever-encroaching hordes of humanity.

Artist Concept of an Arcology

Part of the Problem?

Does my relocation make me part of the problem? Should humanity just be bunched together and stacked atop each other? I totally think more urban areas should invest in the concept of the tall arcology that embraces architectural design principals of densely populated habitats. The planet could also benefit from hastening the trend of smaller families (and maybe free vasectomies and contraception).

I certainly hope I'm not part of the problem. I just don't feel like I belong in the midwest. I yearn for the dense pines, tall mountains, and sparsely populated areas of western Montana. Perhaps I can become an advocate for the conservation of the untamed lands I anticipate living in as penance for daring to call the last best place my home.

Additional Reading

• Top 10 Reasons Not to Move to Montana
• 10 Reasons Not to Move to Boseman
• So You Want to Move to Montana
• Friluftsliv - An Outdoor Lifestyle
• Arcology - Cutaways of the Future City-Hives That Never Were
• Introduction to Arcology

An Ode to Minimalism (Or I Wish I Could Pack Less)

One of our first steps in the process to relocate to Montana was to purge our current possessions of things we no longer wanted or needed. Even though we have an entire garage of things to sell, donate, and recycle, I know I'm still clinging to belongings that I could live without. Even though I take pride on being able to deprogram myself of all the banality of decades of exposure to commercial messaging and misguided cultural mores (which transmogrify the masses from common imbeciles to compliant sheeple), I feel like I cannot shake the need to surround myself with material possessions.

No, my accumulation is not this bad...

Motivations for Material Wealth

After a little reflection, I think the cause behind material possession accumulation can mostly be boiled down to four motives:

• Identity - Things that reflect your interests, values, passions, and self.
• Prestige - Things that influence others' impression of your self worth.
• Sentiment - Things that trigger fond memories of loved ones or personal experience.
• Utility - Things we use to accomplish some task.

Certainly there is overlap between these motivations, maybe that antique La Cornue range you inherited from your great-grandmother is a source of identity because you aspire to be a culinary master, while it is also a famous marque worth tens of thousands of dollars making your kitchen very prestigious, not mention all the memories of preparing dinner for the family with four generations of women from your family... and hey, it works perfect for everyday meals too!

I think I have a good handle on half of the motivations, but I admit that I have an issue with collecting (identity) and then everything people have given me for those collections also makes them sentimental. It doesn't help to think that maybe my daughter might also get some use out of these collections as she gets older (mostly books and games).

Still, I believe I have made progress. I have finally let go of reams of magazines whose pages I've barely touched since picking them off the newsstand, yet manage to carry around with me for the last fifteen years. Mountains of books that are no longer relevant are gone. I still have a sizable library, but at least it is not overflowing any longer. I've shed about half of wardrobe. I've also managed to expunge enough electronics that they could repurpose the silicon to build a dozen Deep Blues.

Tiny Home Inspirations

Tiny Home  Mountain Cottage

I'm inspired by the Tiny Home Movement, though I'm not under any allusions about achieving such a thing until our daughter goes to college. Still, it is something to aspire to. Reducing our footprint and banishing all the things that keep us shackled inside so we can live outside more is definitely an ethos that compliments our destination in Big Sky Country. Still, I guess we'll need a few things to keep us occupied during the long winters.

Additional Reading

The Minimalists - It's not about having less, it's about making room for more [life].

The Tiny Life - Simple living, tiny homes, & environmentally responsible lifestyles

Oro y Plata

Gold & Silver. It's Montana's official state motto (translated from Spanish 'Oro y Plata') and its akin to the treasure I found in my inbox at work. The relocation benefits package I inquired about was an attachment in a recent email. It sat there while I was trapped in a meeting, flirting with my desire to migrate to the mountains.

When I finally was free, and my mental defenses prepped for disappointment, I opened the titillating document. The generosity astonished me. The relocation package would cover the packing, shipping, temporary storage, and unpacking of pretty much all our household goods with the exception of ammunition and plants. It would provide transit of two vehicles and pay for a week of house hunting (including travel, accommodations, meals, and incidentals), two months of temporary housing, airfare for a one-way ticket there, and even provide a realtor program for selling and buying. I have a little over a year to make things happen.

Previously, while saluting Saleforce for providing employees with relocation packages because of the RFRA, I mentioned how a relocation package could alleviate at least one of our four difficulties of long distance relocation. However, this package is generous enough to practically alleviate three of our concerns.

• Time off, travel, and accommodations are required during house hunting
• Remote house hunting is a dodgey affair, even with excellent sites like Zillow.
• Long-distance job hunting is difficult
• Especially when we are living in a two-income age
• Logistics with coordinating sale and purchases can be expensive
• Household storage is difficult and expensive or you have two mortgages
• Timing can be delicate
• Windows of opportunity for both good weat

The remaining concern is relegated to being half as potent as it would be for people with traditional jobs since I now work remotely anyways. My wife will begin searching for another gig once we narrow down exactly where we will be living. She is a social worker and she is interested in serving the needs of reservations, which Montana has in spades.

There is one more caveat, I will need a reliable internet connection for my work. I'm not familiar with the broadband services available in Montana, their coverage, or if satellite internet would suffice. These are all questions we will have to find answers for before we give real estate any real consideration.