I have taken a job with the Montana State Department of Health as a Registered Sanitarian. I'll be located in Helena, Montana. Neither Jackie (my wife) or I have ever done more than drive through Montana. This last weekend was our very first impression of the people and the area. The following is a recount of some our experiences.
Day One:
We rolled up to the first stop light off highway 12. Two eight year old strut across the street, one stops in front of the driver ahead of us, grabs his crotch and starts yelling, "What are you looking at!?!" then throws his arms up in an aggressive gesture.
Not quite what we were expecting. In fact it was exactly the opposite of what we were expecting and had been hoping for. So far Montana was not looking good.
Day Two:
The primary mission of operation Helena was to find an apartment that we could move into by the end of the month. Secondary objectives included scouting the area, figuring out which of the two bike shops was better suited to my needs, and sampling the local brewery.
It turns out that even in Montana finding a land lord that will rent to you when you've got a dog with a little pit in him is pretty difficult. Besides one crappy basement with a converted workshop kitchen we couldn't even get any showings.
Luckily the brewery didn't care what kind of dog we had and I was able to do plenty of sampling that evening. Montana was starting to look a bit better.
Day Three:
We stopped in at Big Sky Cyclery. Twenty minutes later we left with a trails map, the mechanics personal cell phone number, and his request to call him if we needed anything especially a riding partner ringing happily in my ears. This place was starting to grow on me.
That afternoon as we cruised around town jotting down the numbers on "For Rent" signs, at one house we met BG. The land lord at a big white house in the historical district a few blocks from the capital buildings. Seeing us writing down his number, he offered to show the place to us, after rubbing Socks behind the ears (we knew if someone would take the time to meet Socks they wouldn't turn us down).
It was a basement apartment with two windows, a couple of large closets, a living room, bathroom, bedroom, and it was only $500/mo. It was perfect. Well maybe that's a bit of a stretch but it was in our price range and he'd take Socks. Which by day three of our search was all we were really looking for.
Day Four:
We filled out some paperwork with what we were hoping would be our new landlord. Then spent the rest of the day hiking Mt Helena (Mt. Helena is akin to Cougar Mtn or Tiger Mtn, ie not a real mountain). From the summit we were able to take in the entire valley, its absolutely gorgeous. If you're into hanging out at the mall or cruising the strip do not move to Helena. If you are like Jackie and I and you enjoy being outdoors, be it to go for a hike, mtn bike, play ball or hang out by the lake, I would recommend you come visit us ASAP.
Day Five:
We left early in the morning feeling very positive about our new home town.
Ready or not Helena, here we come!
