The first time I left the country, excluding Canada and the Rio Grande as a kid, I did it alone.

And the first time I really left the country, I went big. 

I jetted off to New Zealand for a semester abroad. 

I considered England or Ireland, but figured I could go there for a long weekend if I really wanted to, but going to New Zealand took commitment. I knew, even as a college kid, that getting clear across the glove would be difficult in life after college. 

It's one of the smartest things I've ever done. 

In the months before I left, I did all my reports for an international relations class on New Zealand. I read everything I could find and Googled the heck out of the country that's roughly the size of Colorado.

When I got there, everything was new and different and amazing.

My semester abroad exposed me to a new culture, way of thinking and so many new people with experiences vastly different from my own.

That trip started a chain of international adventures that were genuinely life changing and so I'm starting the I Believe... series with why I believe in travel. 

+ You get outside your comfort zone. At home, you do your routine in the same places with the same people and there's nothing wring with that but you sure learn a lot about yourself when your routines go out the window. You try new food, new cafes, new workouts, new adventures, new views and try things you might never have the guts to do at home. 

+ You broaden your perspective. I was just talking to M this morning about the value of travel (and I don't mean luxury resorts or packaged for you tours) and how it exposes you to different ways of life, different perspectives, different education systems, value systems, political systems. I went to school in New Zealand with students from New Zealand and the rest of the world. They approached their studies very differently than we do back home and I was able to hear what some of the rest of the world things about my home country. You also learn how small the world can be when you Donald Duck in PIcton, New Zealand. It makes you think about how the world values your nation and what you really want to share with the world. 

+ You learn to need only what you can carry. There's a form of simplicity you start to value as you travel. You might want that cool souvenir that you don't particularly have any use for, but if you can't carry it, well then you're not getting it. You learn to pack what you need and realize just how little you actually need to get by. I'm very particular with my souvenir buying since everything has to make it home in the same rucksack I left with and you start to truly value experiences over things, because all the things you actually need fit in one bag. My orange rucksack is my faithful travel companion that might have logged more miles than I have, enduring planes, trains, boats and more.

+ You learn more about you. Your likes and dislikes. Your dreams and fears. Your strengths and weaknesses. When I travel, I get up every morning and see where the day takes me. Sometimes I have a plan, sometimes I wander and explore. At home, I have deadlines, errands, to-do lists, emails, laundry and all the day to day tasks of being an adult. Without those constraints, it's as if you get to start from scratch and construct a different life with the things you like most. Of course when you get home, those day to day tasks come back, but sometimes you bring those found-while-traveling habits home and infuse your normal routines with so much more. You learn how you handle crisis situations without a cell phone handy to call your dad to come pick you up. You learn how you handle setbacks and your capacity to adapt. You realize that if you can handle being stranded in the middle of nowhere in a country where you don't speak the language that you can probably handle flat tires, spilled dinners and bad days at work. 

+ You learn how small you are. Traveling, really traveling, teaches you that the world does not, in fact, revolve around you or even your country. You learn that the American way is not the only way or even the best way. It doesn't make you any less American, or love your country any less, but it helps you understand how our country came to be, what makes us different, what makes us great and what makes us not so great. I genuinely love my country, but understanding that it's a big world and we're but one nation of many older cultures and societies allows you to develop a far more mature appreciation for your homeland. You see the great things in the world, but also the needs. You spend a lot of time thinking about what you want your place in the world to be.

+ You see it with your own eyes. True most of the most iconic places in the world look exactly the same in real life as they do in pictures, but there is absolutely no picture that compares to the "I am here" feeling. I've been to a few wonders of the world, both ancient and natural. I've been to Venice, the sinking city. On all of those trips, seeing some of those things literally takes your breath away. Seeing with you own eyes, walking the same halls as people who changed the world, touching the same rocks that ancient civilizations built a mountain city with, hiking glaciers that might disappear in my lifetime. Those are life changing experiences. Those are moments worth leaving the iPhone behind. Worth not tweeting or Instagramming or Facebooking, but simply being present. Breathe it all in. Those are moments no one can take away, no matter what. But, you can also take photos so you can look back and smile when you say "I was there. I did that." I'm standing in this London phone booth wearing a fleece vest I bought in New Zealand, while visiting a London-based friend I met in New Zealand.

On Friday, I celebrated my 31st birthday when some great friends. 

My mom tells me that I'll stop liking my birthday as I get older, but I don't think I will. It's one of my favorite days, along with Christmas. 

And it's not because I get presents, because eventually you don't. And it's not even because it's all about me, because it's not really. 

Each and every year, on my birthday, I get to bring together a group of people from different aspects of my life. People I've known awhile, people I've just met, sometimes people I've never met show up too. And for that day, it's all about friends meeting friends, sharing laughs and good times, creating moments and memories. 

These people bring so much to the table, they have very different backgrounds, experiences and skills that come together for a night to create some interesting conversation.

Usually it also reminds me of the people who came to birthday celebrations in years past and how much I miss some of those people but how grateful I am to be finding new friends in my new home. 

To me my birthday is an annual reminder of how good I have it. Of where I've been and where I'm going. Of what I've accomplished and the work left to do. 

And it's especially nice to walk into the bar you picked for your birthday gathering and have the bartender remember which beer you drank the last time you where there. 

Some might look at birthdays as a mark of age and time running out, but I look at it as a chance to reflect on how far you've come in the last year. How you've changed, how you've stayed the same. And most importantly, to spend a whole day knowing exactly how many wonderful people you have in your life. 

My 30 by 30 list never quite got finished, but it was overly ambitious I think. Besides, some of priorities and goals have changed.

So, for this year, there's a few things I want to focus on.

+ Renovation progress. I'm being open-ended and saying progress since setting some specific goal tends to set me up for disappointment on this front. It's slow going and the chicken projects diverted our attention for the summer. it seems that every time we start one project, we find so many other things we have to do before we can really do said project, so I'm counting "progress" from now on as something pretty great. Progress can be actually getting kitchen counters/cabinets that are mounted to the floor; ripping out the hideous carpet in the mudroom and putting in the tile we already bought; finishing popcorn ceiling removal or painting over the paneling in some rooms to make it tolerable until we're ready to tear it all out.

+ Operation Closet Purge. The never ending project that does bring a certain kind of peace to every day life.

+ Run another race. It can be short, or maybe a long one. Can't say I love running, but I do want to give myself a fitness goal that doesn't involve a number on the scale to get back into some of my old (good) habits of running much more regularly. I'm counting skating in this area too. We'll see if I've got the guts to try some more jumps and other moves this season. 

+ Never stop learning. Work keeps me busy reading whatever new report or budget document is out and world affairs have me digging into complex topics on the fly, which can wear me down so that I want to watch mindless television at home or read silly things to give my brain a break. But after sitting in the history section at the bookstore for awhile the other day, I felt that old familiar desire to read everything and learn about everything. There's no way I'll ever know it all, but I've begun to realize what a profound thing it is to recognize how much you don't know. 

+ Get things done. I'm on a few boards, involved in many projects and have work. In continuing my efforts to focus on my passions and the areas I care about most and can have the most impact, I also want to work on being more efficient and better with my time management. Less time worrying about how much I need to do, more time doing what I need to do.

+Explore. I haven't been able to leave the country in awhile, but there's so much to explore out West, north to Canada and well, everywhere. Here's to hoping we can get out an about every now and again while still working on renovations and getting everything else done. Plus, a weekend off to road trip or see something I haven't seen before always clears my mind and energizes me for all those things I need to get done.

It's going to be a great year and I'm glad to have you along for the ride! 

What's your favorite thing about your birthday or favorite birthday memory? Do you set goals each year on your birthday?

This week was a bit chaotic and exhausting for me, so while I'm recovering and catching up, I'd like you to meet Manda from musicalpoem. She's a fellow world traveler and Blackhawks fan. Next time I'm in D.C. expect photos from a coffee date or a hockey game.

I used to work with a woman who, like me, was an avid traveler. On the occasionally slow Friday afternoon, she and I would swap travel stories or give the other suggestions on where next in the world to visit.

“You should go to India,” she told me one day after I informed her that I had never been. “I absolutely loved my time there. It’s the only place I’d go back to, but that’s because I missed out on seeing the Taj Mahal.”

“The only place you’d go back to?” I asked.

She nodded. “I have a no repeat rule,” she said firmly. “There’s too much to see in the world to go back to a place I’ve already visited.”

That thought stuck with me.

When I was a child, I visited Shanghai for the first time. It was a hot, dusty city then, swarming with mosquitoes that left bites that swelled up horrendously and curious Chinese who would openly stare and gape at foreigners, even in the city. (That’s still common now in China, but usually only in the rural countryside. City dwellers have long been accustomed to the sight of foreigners.) I remember going on a drive to what I assume was a neighboring city. Along the way, we drove through rice paddies and I was glued to the window of the van, fascinated. I had never seen a rice paddy before, never really understood where rice came from.

I hated visiting China as a child, absolutely hated it. I hated how my mom insisted I always hold her hand no matter where we went as a measure against getting snatched even though I thought of myself as a “big kid” and certainly didn’t need my mother’s protection. (Child snatchers were said to target children of mixed or foreign ethnicity, as race was a good indicator of whether or not the child’s family had the money the snatchers were after.) I hated the food, how everything had bones in it and all parts of an animal were served and really, why couldn’t I just eat plain noodles in soup all day, every day? I hated the mosquitoes and the dust, how every day I’d be blowing dust out of my nose and wiping it off my face and itching all over from the swollen, angry-looking bumps that marked a mosquito’s kiss.

I visited China again just before I turned 18. In the ten or so years since I’d been to Shanghai, it had transformed to a city I couldn’t even recognize. Gone was the dustiness that used to be everywhere, although the mosquitoes were still vicious in the city outskirts. Fast, efficient and reliable trains now connected nearby cities to Shanghai, distancing the rice paddies from a traveler’s view by the window. The Bund was a sight to behold, Nanjing Road was peppered with luxury brands and hawkers offering their wares (“Watch? Bag?”) and so much more of the city spoke English, even if only enough to get by to sell things to tourists.

My trip to China at age 18 led to my decision to minor in Mandarin Chinese in college, which in turn led me to study abroad in Beijing for a year in college. When I arrived in Beijing at the beginning of my year abroad, I thought to myself, “Last time I was here, I was only here for four days. This time, I’m here for a year. Time to make it count.”

And make it count I did. My year in Beijing was incomparable to any other year. It was the year that changed my life, one that made me into who I am today. (I've even written books about it!)

I am forever grateful that Beijing and I found each other; I can’t even begin to imagine how different everything would be had I decided to spend my year abroad elsewhere.

I wouldn’t have chosen Beijing as my year abroad destination had I not minored in Mandarin Chinese, and I wouldn’t have chosen that minor had I not gone to Beijing when I was 18. And if I abided by a “no repeat” travel rule, I wouldn’t have returned to China as a teenager. 

Sometimes, one just needs to go back to a place they’ve already been. Maybe it’s to see what’s changed since the last visit, or to return to a favorite location. Or maybe it’s to allow a place to make its full impact on a person, and to see how not the place has changed, but how a person has in the time that’s lapsed. No matter the reason, there’s always a benefit in returning to a place previously visited.

Manda is a world traveler always dreaming about her next travel destination, although her home city of Hong Kong will always hold a special place in her heart. Other things she’s passionate about include books, cupcakes, makeup and tea. She has a tendency to listen to her favorite songs on repeat and has been known to crave noodles at 2 a.m. She blogs at musicalpoem and can be found on Twitter, Instagram and Youtube.

Happy Monday everyone! Hope you all had a lovely, restorative weekend! We took a little time to live life and sure enough, I'm back feeling inspired!

This weekend, we headed a few hours across the state to Kalispell and Whitefish, some of my favorite Montana towns.

We had plenty to do at the Homestead and it had been well below zero with snow covered icy roads, but I had my heart set on heading that way for the Handmade Holiday event, a small gathering of local artisans, crafters, bee keepers and bakers showing off their wares. Our friends at Glacier County Honey were there and I really wanted to pick up some beeswax. I have my sights set on attempting to make my own candles. We shall see. 

The drive was beautiful, though frigid. I kid you not, it was -22 when we left Great Falls. I was terrified the car would break down and we'd freeze to death or loose control on some icy patch, but everything was fine.

I had to close my eyes a few times on the ride out because I was so nervous about the snowy roads, but really, M had it under control. 

On top of never ending house work, I had blogging to do, holiday gifting to attempt and truly, we both had a ridiculous to-do list, but I had a long weekend off from work and I wanted to use it for a little change of scenery.


The ride gave us time to just talk, no puppies, TV, house work, errands or anything to distract. Just us. 

Once we got there, we headed straight to the event in Whitefish and chatted with Courtney, my favorite beekeeper, for a bit. Two beeswax bars later, we got to chatting with Sally, a quilter who has kids in engineering and the military so M could relate on those fronts. She gave us dinner tips and I found this sweet little satchel full of herbs she grew herself that are supposed to be relaxing and help you sleep. I often have a hard time falling asleep (so many thoughts swirling around my head) that we decided to give it a shot. 

Another fun find from the event to come soon, but the event gave me so many ideas for the blog, for local activities, for the Homestead, for the skating club. It is true, being around creative people often boosts your own creative juices and it's nice to see friends and concoct ideas together and make new friends all at the same time. 

And then there's this view from the drive home. Seriously, Montana. It's beautiful here. 

Meet Alicia of Jaybird. Through the blogosphere, she's become a friend and always a source of inspiration, happiness and fun. If you haven't already found her, go make her acquaintance on Facebook and Twitter.  She has some of the best recipes and thoughts on life. Plus, she encourages me to make progress on Wild, which is still sitting on top of the reading stack.

Q: What do you love most about cooking/gardening/food?

A: There is something incredibly fulfilling about growing something in my garden, turning it into a meal, and eating it with the people I love. When planting seeds comes full circle to sitting around a table full of the wonderful people in my life, all sharing something together, I feel completely present and content.

2. I love the idea of creating a home in motion and have been in similar situations, but remember sometimes feeling very unsettled. Does that happen to you? If so, how to handle those moments?

Absolutely! It is completely normal to feel unsettled or adrift when you're traveling frequently or when you've just moved. One thing that helps me is to read old journal entries from previous moves. They remind me that I always go through those rough patches, but there are amazing experiences that make it worthwhile. I also do my best to stay connected to friends and family through phone or video calls and writing letters. 

Q: Where do draw your inspiration for traveling, cooking, moving and well, life in general?

Am I allowed to be cheesy? Seriously, my mom is my inspiration for traveling, moving, and life. She studied all around the world, learned seven (I think) different languages, served as a Peace Corps volunteer, and is always up for an adventure. Now she teaches English as a Second Language (ESL). I grew up meeting her students and admiring their clothes, arts and projects from around the world.

And of course, I get my inspiration from the infinite resource that is the internet! I love reading blogs by freelancers or people in location-independent professions, in particular Yes and Yes, Silly Grrl, and After Nine to Five. Cooking inspiration usually just comes from whatever is on sale at the grocery store or the brightest vegetable at the farmer's market.

Q: Moving/traveling a lot tends to create a huge network of friends of all types. Are there any who stand out as having taught valuable life lessons or just being there in those crucial life moments?

A: There are two groups of people who have been with me through almost everything, and funnily enough, those are the ones from my hometown in Virginia. Now they're spread across several continents and many different states, but even if we go days without talking, I can feel their love and support in even the most difficult moments. You know someone is a great friend when you can email them out of the blue with a random question or life upset and receive an immediate response.

Q: Top three tips for staying positive when it feels impossible to do so? (I loved your recent positivity post!)

A: * Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and then write down five things for which you are grateful. * Look for the positive intent. In certain situations, it can be really hard to find, but this practice has helped me be more empathetic and compassionate, even when I feel like someone has hurt me without reason. * Do something absolutely silly, ideally involving movement. Nothing dispels an emotional funk like a ridiculous dance around the room to 80s pop! It may only work for a moment, but that's a moment that reminds you that you have the ability to create positivity whenever you want!

Q: What are the most important things learned while traveling, to you?

A: When I studied abroad in Senegal, I became absolutely taken with their response to the equivalent of "how are you?"--it translates roughly as "I am only here." There are moments during any trip (and in life) when you feel overwhelmed or torn between a million different choices...but remember, you are only here. Be present in the moment to fully enjoy it and learn from it.

Q: If you could host the perfect dinner party, what would you serve and who (dead or alive, whole world) would you invite?

A: I would have to start with my dad, because he is a very curious guy and a great conversationalist...and while I was busy being starstruck by Arundhati Roy, Niki de St. Phalle, and Ruth Reichl, he could keep the conversation moving.

I'm not great with fancy food but given that there's a food writer in attendance, I would probably try my hand at roasting a rack of lamb. The side dishes would be solid standbys like garlic mashed potatoes, stewed tomatoes, and a raw kale salad with a zillion colorful and crunchy toppings. For dessert, I once made a chickpea-based gluten-free chocolate cake--it sounds weird, but it was AMAZING! Food is particularly great when it can also serve as a conversation piece.

Q: Looking back five years or so, did you imagine your life as it is now?

A: I'm pretty sure I thought I would be living in West Africa working in social services or education access for women and girls. After studying abroad, I realized that there was a ton of work to be done towards these goals in the United States, so I revamped my plan a little...after two years as an AmeriCorps volunteer working in education, I now work in nonprofit communications and I love it. Like anyone, I've always hoped to be happy no matter what I was doing, and that's one thing that has stayed constant.

Today deserves a huge shoutout to my littlest sister who today left London as the Clipper Race got under way. 

It's also her 25th birthday. 

The Rowell girls know how to rock it out.

She'll spend the next few months sailing to Australia, then head home to finish her doctorate. 

And you thought I was an overachiever. 

We're a military family. Both of my parents served in the Air Force and we moved a lot as kids. People ask where I'm from and I say, "I claim Virginia." It's where we lived the longest. Where I went to 8-12 grades. Where I went to college. Where I got my first newspaper job right out of college. To me, it's home.

I have moved away a few times and most recently to the distant land of Montana (people, it is really hard to get anywhere from Great Falls by plane. Just sayin'.) I've left the country bunches of times and roadtripped all over. But, I always love coming home.

My mom made this when she was younger than I am now. For years, it hung on the wall of what was my room in high school. It's almost like she knew she'd have a daughter like me one day.  And my sisters. We've all wandered and roamed, but always come back home at some point.

A dear friend got married over the weekend so I came home for that and since I was booking a flight to Virginia (remember what I said about getting anywhere from Great Falls?), I decided I'd stay awhile. Plus, I got to capture this moment in the Chicago airport. An older couple, both playing on their smartphones. And us millennials always get picked on for being chained to our phones.

Amie looked so happy and beautiful and I'm so glad I could be there for that day, even if it was a haul to get out to Blacksburg. (Think Virginia Tech, that's where the wedding was). Our other great friend, Ellen, was the maid of honor and she was my date for the night. We had a blast dancing the night away, catching up and just being together. We all worked together at a newspaper in Virginia and have all since left and used to get together for dinner/wine nights once a month or so when we were all in D.C., along with our other friend from the paper and my former roommate Danielle. 

Amie got a special treat during the reception. 

That's Ellen dancing with the Hokie bird. The Va Tech mascot had also been to Ellen's wedding, where I ran into him coming out of a porta-potty. Still cracks me up. Even if he is an imaginary bird. 

With very little sleep and having had too much fun at the wedding, we roadtripped to D.C. the next day. Ellen dropped me off to catch the metro into the city. Riding a line I rarely used when I lived there took me more time looking at the metro map than I ever remember. I had a giant orange rucksack on my back, I could play tourist. 

It's girly of me, but back in D.C., I just wanted to shop. We don't have many options in Great Falls and I've honestly not bought a single piece of clothing or shoes in six months. Other than some outdoor stuff and a pair of boots that I really needed. It's good for my bank account, but my favorite pair of shoes actually has holes in the bottom now and my wardrobe needs a tiny bit of updating for Montana. 

After lunch with a wonderful friend we knew in Alabama, I met up with Erika and we hit the outlets on King Street in Old Town. If you're ever in the area, King Street is great. It's crowded as anything, but they've added new shops and there's a few outlets and something like 200 restaurants on King alone. If you branch off to the side streets, there's even more. Plus, you can walk right down to the Potomac if you want. 

I racked up a few good finds and special tip, there's a new Francesca's on the corner near the Nine West outlet. I know Markeshia of Too Thrifty Chicks will be just as excited as I was to see that. Then there was Mexcian food at a great spot in D.C. We used to go to a different location for mega margaritas, but this location was equally awesome. Erika and I are now planning to do a cross-country Mexican food tour. We really love it. A lot. She's on the short list of people who will have chips, salsa and wine/margaritas with me and call it an acceptable dinner.

Then it was up to Capitol Hill, again with the rucksack for just a little bit of work meeting with some Senate staffers, but I always love walking around the Capitol and the National Mall. Politics and humidity aside, it really is a beautiful place. Favorite was being asked by Senate staffers if I was backbacking. Then going back outside and being asked by tourists how to get to Pennsylvania Avenue. 

Parents were on their way back from Jersey and picked me up at another Metro stop. Here's something I do not miss about D.C. and the East Coast. Traffic. It took forever to get home, but we have Chik-fil-a! And Panera! I couldn't decide between them. So I let Mom pick. 

When we got home, Mom handed me something my Aunt Lee had sent home for me. Lee is super artsy and crafty and has an amazing garden just a block or two off the Jersey shore. She's awesome. And has been reading the blog, so she sent me this. Thanks Aunt Lee! I am putting it to use as soon as I get back to Montana! 

A trip to Trader Joe's made me so happy that I came home and wrote them a note asking for a store in Montana. Doubtful it will happen, but a girl's gotta try! 

Mom and I did some bargain shopping and I found great Madden Girl shoes for $15. And a Nine West purse for $29 that I might go back and get. My purse is starting to fall apart. We stopped in Lowe's for a hot second. Mom got three $1 plants and then this happened.

Still trying to find a paint color to go with the tealish tile in the Swan Lake bathroom. It's a challenge. But I think we have a few options. Littlest sister came up with some cool ideas while she Skyped with us from London. 

And last night, good friends we knew in Alabama came over for dinner. They just got stationed here and have a three-month old (who is adorable!) and so we rolled out some Southern hospitality. I love my town so I always want to help people love it too. I'm beyond excited that they're here. 

Alrighty, that was a lot packed into a few days and a single blog post. Time for more fun and adventures. But until then, look at this little lady! 

Such a great quote! Can't tell you how many times I've gone out of comfort zone, been all kinds of turned around and unsure, but always find my way. 

When I went to South America for the first time, friends and family thought I was nuts. 

When I arrived in Lima, not my favorite city, exhausted from the flights and not speaking the language, I went straight to my room at the hostel and cried for a bit. I was feeling like maybe I had bit off more than I could chew on this particular adventure.

Then I pulled myself together, thinking, "You can do this. You are not going to waste this trip hiding in your room. Spanish or no Spanish, you have got this."

Then I grabbed my cleverly disguised Lonely Planet guide and phrasebook and headed into the city. Though Lima remained my least favorite city in Peru, the trip was one of my favorites. 

It's also a wonderful thing to learn to rely on your intuition. It's harder to hear it and need it while hanging out in your comfort zone. Outside of that, you learn to trust yourself and how to make your way out there in the great big world. 

Lots of changes are happening in my world and so I've decided it was time to revamp the blog. What started as a travel blog for my friends and family while I was out of the country has morphed into more. 
Travel will always be one of my great loves, but I'm not leaving the country as much as I would like and now I'm doing what I never thought I'd do, putting down roots...in Montana. 
Don't worry, travel will still be a part of this blog and my adventures will have their place here, but Near and Far will now be a blog following the adventures, and craziness, of a globe-trotting East Coast girl making a home in Montana. 
In January 2013, I packed up my half of a townhouse in Alexandria, Va. and loaded everything into an ABF truck. My boyfriend and I stuffed my little Toyota Corolla with everything we'd need for a week and with the pupster, Grover, taking up most of the backseat, we headed west. 
Now that I've been here a few months I'm settling in to small town life, adjusting to being back in a newsroom (I love it!) and building my new network of friends. 
Just as I was getting the hang of all that, and actually unpacking, the boyfriend, Mark, found a house that we just had to have. 
I wasn't so sure at first, but the more we looked at it and thought about all its potential, the more we loved it. 
So, here we are with our first house, 26 acres, no neighbors, two dogs and a lotta love.  Boyfriend has also decided we should have chickens and I want to grow my own vegetables, maybe some fruits. I've gone from the craziness of D.C. to creating our own little farm. Quite a difference! 
Buying the house will have us pinching pennies a bit for awhile, but we've got big plans to make this a fantastic house, with views of the mountains, buttes, and Big Sky all around. We'll bring you along for the stress-inducing process that is buying a house and the fun/frustration of making it our own. 
I recently started a Made in Montana series on the blog and that will continue here as I love my new state and its people. Through them, I'll share with you more of how wonderful a place Montana is. 
For my longtime readers, loyal family members and friends and those of you just finding this blog, hope you enjoy!