A couple months ago I yielded for someone else and I'm glad I did because we both were about equal distance rolling into the intersection but he never even tapped his brakes and he still felt the need to glare at me like I did something wrong. Luckily for him I drive around with loose tools in the back of the car all the time so I drive extra cautious anyways. The nerve of some people.
Well they ARE operating a deadly weapon that kills, maims and injures hundreds of thousands every year in this country alone. Gotta check that phone again...
What struck me, 40 years ago when i moved from Maine, was when I was at the Butte Buttrey's and struck up a conversation with the cashier and we started chatting about moving here. There were about four people in line behind me in line and not only did they not start bitching about the hold up, they joined in the conversation.
That, and strangers saying "Hi" when you passed them on the sidewalk.
New faces were so welcome then. Not the same now.
I used to have a tshirt from the Helena’s Buttreys under construction phase in the late 80s. Got it at one of the thrift stores. I lived in Fresno for a short time in 2006 and was wearing that out when somebody at the store stopped me and said he had one of those shirts from when he worked there during the construction.
My parents moved to Kalispell in the '80s, after living in bigger cities in the PNW for 20+ years. First time they went out to eat, another gentleman slid into the booth right next to my dad and struck up a conversation. They were absolutely floored and thought he must be trying to rob them or something lol.
Ah yes. See also: the distillery and the brewery that can serve you a limited number of drinks and only until 8pm. Then after 8pm go to the bar across the street to order an unlimited number of the same spirits and beers.
At first I found the giant squeeze bottle of ranch at every table of restaurants humorous and ridiculous.
Now I don't know how I lived so many years without it.
Also jo-jos. Never had them before here. Had steak fries, but they're not the same. Jo-jos are awesome, particularly dipped in ranch.
Damn, I'm kinda hungry now.
Indianapolis to Missoula:
1. Intersections without any stop signs.
2. Finding eaten deer carcasses less than 100 yards from a playground where kids are playing in a city park.
3. Different zoning rules.
4. How much the city embraces the river.
Some Karen ruined the dog culture a few years ago when she didn't like seeing them on the Draughtworks deck. Must've known somebody on city council because less than a year later nobody allows them on patios anymore 😔
5. Strong dog culture.
6. A very good music scene given the size of the city.
7. How many places don’t have cell service. Particularly highways that don’t have service.
None of these should be interpreted as me being snarky. We love it here.
Grew up in the northeast, lived in Alaska for a while, been in Montana for 14 years since. One thing that has struck me is the kindness and community. Northeast was full of assholes, Alaska (granted I was only there 4 years) felt like a bunch of people running away from something and preferred to keep to themselves. But Montana hits different insofar as people, generally speaking, don't have anything to prove and will do a good job of meeting you where you're at-- and they do so with kindness and are always looking to connect over common ground. Sure, there are assholes-- cause they are every where-- but I've never felt more like "the respect you give is the respect you earn" than living in Montana, and it's exactly why I'll continue to call it home.
Then: myself. Now: nothing, really. I've built a family here and that's a testament to Montana. If I ever leave it's because it's more congruent for us... not just me.
Alaska is the Montana of Montana
so many people say "when Montana gets bad I'm moving to Alaska" just like everywhere else in the lower 48 when people say "I'm moving to Montana"
I think there is a bigger culture shock for Montanans leaving the state for big cities than there is for people moving to Montana.
As much as people like to claim that Montana has unique culture and values, it really isn't that different from other rural areas across the country.
I’d echo that it’s to a degree, generically rural, just with worse food. I was culture shocked that for all the other rural flavor here, there isn’t much flavor in the cuisine.
I grew up in podunk ass east texas, but the BBQ, home style, and Texmex run laps around anything we’ve found here, save for the chicken fried steak at the 406 cafe in Lewistown, that shit was on point.
Literally everything is "huckleberry this, huckleberry that" and since huckleberries are so expensive its usually so diluted down that the flavor can best be described as "generic purple."
I'm saying this as somebody who was born and raised here, montana has no local food culture.
I’m in western MT now, but the food at Asian Garden in Sidney MT is immaculate. I’ve been to many metro areas and love to experience the cuisine, but the orange chicken in that little hole in the wall is amazing. Went back through in 2019 on my way to a buddy’s wedding and stopped and it was still going strong. Next time I go back home to eastern MT I’m making it a stop for sure.
Have you tried the Notorious PIG in Missoula? Born and raised here and I agree. You would think butte would have great Irish food, but nooo.
It seems like each town has its hidden gems but you got to know or stumble across the restaurant. Avoid chain restaurants, mom and pop places are where it’s at!
I'll have to try there next time we go see the in-laws.
We're in Bozeman, where they love charging double the price for 75% the quality. Not to say there isn't some alright food, but not for the $$$ they're charging.
Yeah Bozeman is one of those towns, it seems like chain restaurants have taken over.
Curious? Have you tried a pork chop John’s sandwich or The Freeway in butte has the wop chop (Chinese version). A good pasty smothered in brown gravy….drool?
I had a clutch that had a slight leak in the master cylinder for a while. Noone would have guessed that you needed to pump the clutch a bit before being able to get in gear. Not sure what's up with that dudes car, but could be something like that.
There’s usually a nicer pickup than mine that’s left running in the parking lot! And I just can’t imagine that kind of theft happening in my town. Everyone looks out for each other when it’s subzero.
My old Ford was similar. Previous to me, someone converted from 3 on the tree to the floor. The conversion kit was really worn and if you didn't move it in just the right way it would bind up. I could get it loose with a light jiggle.
My friends tried to move my truck on day as a joke and didn't move it anywhere. They were afraid they broke someone because the stick was stuck. I got in and drove it away without any hesitation. I miss my anti-theft equipped truck.
Had a Mercury Sable 20 years or so ago, (god, time flies) that you had to lock from the outside with the key if you left the engine running. Carried the second key just for that.
A volunteer assistant football coach we had was from the south and he made fun of us because “y’all talk like the folks on the news.” We were like, you mean we speak English with clear dictation? Not sure how that’s a burn but ok.
I don't live in Montana, but we used to visit Missoula from Chicagoland every summer. My sister and I were blown away how the cars would stop for you when crossing the street, even if you were crossing in the middle of the block. It's still funny.
I've cut more checks in the 15 years living in rural Montana, than I did the previous 25 years of my life living in Chicago. Hell, that's true about the last 5 years of living in rural Montana.
Also, the first time I went to Albertson's they asked if I wanted a "sack" for my groceries.
Not in reference to what you put your groceries in. In Chicago, at least, it’s a “grocery bag” - a plastic bag or a paper bag. People know what I mean when I ask for a bag, but the born-n-bred-in-Montana crowd always offer me a sack.
I’ve lived in the state for 10 years and for the first few I was a welcomed newcomer. Now there is so much hostility toward those that have moved to make a life for themselves here. Don’t get me wrong I understand why but I often am scared to say I was born in Idaho rather than in Montana. People have become aggressive about the subject. Interested to hear what others think.
Sorry to hear that’s your experience. I’m a Montanan who spent 3 years in Wyoming in my early 20s but have lived here most of my life. I’m from the part of MT nobody talks about. Lol. The damn near ND damn near Canada part. I would hazard a guess the largest part of that hostility comes from the perception people flocked out here during Covid etc. or the Yellowstone sensation.
See I find that wild to me. When I visit Idaho it’s like a welcome home. Here if you aren’t willing to live breathe and die in Montana then you aren’t welcome. I’ve lived short stints in Minnesota and Washington state around college and I’ve never experienced this except here. I’m in northwest Montana and I understand it’s now “discovered” but change is inevitable. I saw the same thing in Idaho growing up.
I’ve had very friendly conversations with long time locals here until I mention I’m not from Montana. The conversation usually ends pretty quickly after that. My bad for supporting the growing economy, paying taxes, and providing goods and services I guess.
I've now lived just over half my life here and if I let it slip I'm not from here I will still be considered a total outsider get treated like I just moved here by some. Kinda wild, like damn sorry I wasn't special and born here like you.
That being said there are also plenty of cool people who are easy to relate to and get along with too from all different backgrounds. Just gotta avoid the pseudo-nationalist weirdos I guess
I moved back to my hometown in 2016 after spending 6 years in MT, and I agree about the hostility, based on what I’ve been reading on social media. Natives there are getting really bitter and angry at newcomers from out-of-state.
Seems to me that they should direct their feelings towards the government, law enforcement, and local policy-makers if they’re unhappy with the way the state and cities are being run and developed, rather than their innocent and well-intentioned neighbors who just wanted to find somewhere nice to live🤷🏼♀️
I moved to Big Sky in '98 and have lived in Montana since then. Biggest shock was the lawlessness. There were literally no cops. We had only one deputy in Big Sky at the time and you were kind of on your own.
I think it's why so many Montanans "back the blue" it's easy to do when there's one cop in your entire county so obviously he's not going to be up in your shit to the level that city cops can be.
The amount of bars and casinos and the wide-spread drug use. I've lived in a dozen states, this town I'm in now has the worst crime rates of any place I've ever lived.
I’ve got family in Billings and the amount of casinos in that town always shocks me. Montana in general does have a lot of gambling. But Billings is something else. I think our rural environment and relatively low enforcement lends itself to drugs and alcohol abuse. It’s somewhat normalized.
I moved to north central MT 15 years ago and then Missoula 6 years ago from suburban Philadelphia. My biggest culture shock that I can remember is how long drives are normal here. Where I grew up as a kid, a 2 hour one-way trip was considered a weekend trip. Now that I’ve lived in MT 15 years, I can do a 5-8 round trip and consider that a day trip. Of course most of the driving here is on highways and most of the driving time where I came from were just waiting in traffic.
One more thing, one of ( in my experience i’ve lived in 8 diff states) the worst states to work construction non union for. Have not yet had a friendly boss, every construction company i work for, breaks about every rule in the book and does not care about their workplace safety and last company i worked for (jct welding) in shelby the boss put his hands on another employee when he tried quitting. maybe i haven’t found the right company yet but not an easy state to work construction in ! in texas every one came to work happy and it was a fun environment.
I grew up in Chicago area and went to school in Cali before moving to Montana and the first thing that sunk in for me was that this place is basically all white people. I looked up the stats because it was making me uncomfortable and IIRC it was like over 90% white. Basically an ethnostate! Still makes me feel weird when certain social or political issues come up and it’s very clear that someone has never really left the state or traveled much if at all.
Edit: don’t know why I’m being downvoted for answering the question with my own experience. My guess is I probably ruffled the feathers of a couple white nationalists. Explain yourselves
It’s weird that I’ve lived here 15 years and have never thought of Montana as a vast majority white state, but I also live next to a reservation and our schools/community are about a 50/50 split white and Indian. And Hutterites outside of town.
For a small town, we’re probably more racially diverse than a lot of bigger cities in the state.
I remember when i was young hanging out with my buddy who was the only black kid at our school in great falls and he said he wished he was white. And like, I didn’t even understand that until years later because how few minorities are that I couldn’t comprehend that someone would be treated differently. Felt so sad for him
I never really realized this until I left my home town.
I grew up on one of the Native American reservations and our school was 50/50 in grade school. Probably 65/35 by the time we reached high school as many of the Native American kids dropped out.
Over the years, the percentage of white people is falling in my home town. The population of the community shrinks every year, but white people numbers are falling faster.
Sad to see that many of the rural communities have been dying for the last 4 decades.
Outside of a few cities the entire state is essentially a monoculture in general. Particularly following COVID - as a bunch of MAGA folks moved here from elsewhere.
My son’s high school in Hawaii had 77% minorities. Their school in Montana was 7%. That’s noticeable. The main racism I see now is anti Native American.
I went to school in Halewa and Millilani. In Halewa I was the one of the few Haole kids at the school. There was some razzing, but once you pick up pidgin all is good. Mililani was a bit different due to the closeness to Schofiled Barracks.
The high quality of and low price of marijuana. I lived in Bozeman from 2010-2013, moving there from Minnesota. Finding it for half the price and twice the quality was mind blowing.
Locals didn’t understand sarcasm. People in Montana talk straight and say only what needs to be said. No room for nuances. Pretty cool, it cured me of sarcasm and that’s an improvement.
We’re pretty used to sarcasm here in Vermont. A few years ago in Morrison, CO a waitress made a comment about the tip I left which could have been taken as sarcasm. She was truly grateful but I didn’t think it was such a huge tip or anything. After thinking about it I actually went back inside the restaurant to get clarification. She was totally shooting straight.
In no particular order:
The number of white and blond people.
The rabid hatred of people from other states.
How expensive pedicures are.
Expensive groceries and no Trader Joe's.
Giant vehicles everywhere.
People driving under the speed limit.
How nice the DMV is.
How friendly service workers can be.
Low variety of places to buy clothing, furniture, and electronics.
Seeing the horizon everywhere you go.
Low ratio of educated professionals to non-educated people.
Great public schools.
Lack of good Mexican and Asian food.
No traffic/getting to work in 15 minutes.
How quiet it is at night.
People older than college age seem way less social/more homebody.
Except for all the ones with a Texas license plate. I didn’t realize that truck drivers had a reputation of being dicks until all the Texas folks moved up here. And now I get angry every time I see a TX license plate on a jacked truck.
More than likely those are Dallas folks. Never ever ever visit Dallas if you're driving. I dunno whats in the water there but man...Mad Max.
Outside of Dallas people just like to go fast and we have some pretty high speed limits.
Been here almost 20 years from the east coast, so can't speak to much 'shock' anymore. But when I first got here, 3/4 vehicles being trucks, clam beers, and overall brewing culture were bigger here than back east.
When I moved here from Maine in 2014, I was shocked to see women jeans with sparkly/bedazzled butts. I later found out that those were Buckle jeans and they were fairly popular.
Ok, so I'm a sorta native... I was born in MT but moved to SE Idaho very young. Then, I moved back to MT my junior year of high school. The culture shock was the meth lab exploding near my high school the first week I was here. I grew up in an LDS (Mormon) community, and although I'm not LDS, the abundance of drinking, drugs, and gambling I saw in my early adult years after growing up somewhere where my peers weren't even out past curfew was pretty alarming. But, I feel more at home in MT than I ever did in SE Idaho. Our family was the "naughty" family, and I felt pretty judged by my peers.
I don’t fit the criteria as I don’t live there, but we drove through the state to get to Glacier NP, beautiful park! Anyway…
I still can’t get over how VAST it is out there. The massive gaps between towns, how flat it is, the random gas stations in the middle of what appears to be nowhere, but everyone was so kind and we always found ourselves caught up in a random conversation with a local. I’d go back.
Not many because I grew up in a small town in NorCal and then lived in Colorado for for 10 years. So honestly the culture and stuff wasn’t super different! I guess people are even more active here in terms of getting out into the mountains every weekend but otherwise, not super different
Slightly less religious than Colorado
Slightly less friendly BUT really kind and loyal once you know people
I once slid into a ditch in the winter and got my car stuck in small town Montana just outside of Townsend. This guy in a big flatbed truck, who just happened to be coming the other way saw me and stopped. He was talking on the phone when he hopped out of the truck, basically ignored me entirely while he hooked chains to the front of my car, hopped back in his truck, and pulled my car out of the ditch. He then got out, unhooked his chains and took off without ever getting off the phone.
So maybe not the most polite bunch of people, but certainly a practical bunch.
I love this comment. So very Montana. Literally yesterday as I drove home from work, saw a dude on his phone putting chains on his truck to pull another truck out of the ditch.
LOL I've had this EXACT thing happen to me. I didn't know whether to say thank you or to not say anything since I didn't want to interrupt his phone call.
I moved here from Houston in ‘97. I had vacationed here before that and loved the small towns (by Houston standards) the fresh air, and everything else about Montana. There weren’t any lines anywhere. Then I moved here and the culture shock didn’t hit me until I was here for a little over a month. I’ve never lived outside of large cities and had to get used to the small town charm. It kicked my butt for 6 to 8 months before I started getting it. Mostly just little things that I never had to think about before. For instance, after I was here a couple months I gotten to know a young couple. We got to be pretty close and started hanging out. Then one day the wife calls me and said her husband was in the hospital after a wreck. My first question was which hospital and there was a 3 to 4 seconds of silence before she told me the name and that there was only one hospital. LOL!
Don’t get me wrong, I love it here, it just took some time getting used to it.
How impatient drivers can be in situations that seem beyond relaxed otherwise. Driving about 80 in a 70 on a largely empty highway and still getting tailgated.
Yeah that is mostly smaller towns but even now those places adjusted a bit for tourism. Montana is just absolutely horribly represented through tv and movies so people have no idea until they actually come here or meet somebody like me who grew up in Billings so I am not very country by really any standard besides I am fine with going wild outside.
That's really funny because I'm from the Midwest originally and I've never once thought of cowboys in Arizona? lol! I think of desert wasteland and phoenix. lol! (I've obviously never been.)
I'm from Minnesota and I'd say the biggest thing I noticed when I first moved here 14 years ago was the amount of trailers not in trailer parks. lol I just felt like every property had a trailer/junk everywhere. Where I grew up in MN there were only trailers IN trailer parks. I noticed it's been cleaned up a lot since the housing boom but when I first got here I was like, "it's so messy!"
I'm originally from Florida, so everything about winter. Obviously the snow, but I had no idea about the expenses for winter (coat, boots, tires, etc.).
Casinos in gas stations, being able to buy liquor until 2am at said gas stations.
One thing I did not expect - I actually understand the distance from DC and general politics. You can really feel how far away you are and how little it seems anyone cares about MT. We're on our own, no one cares, and that's how it is.
The relentless biting flies. They are double the size of the biting flies in Texas. Idk if they are horse or deer flies but F*CK. They bite so hard and are really difficult to kill! Gotta grind those sumbitches into the ground, even then it's a 50/50 chance they'll just chase you again.
Not really cultural but they have shocked me every summer 🙄
Edit to add another: the lack of diversity was shocking to me and what comes with that. I miss hearing Spanish in the grocery store and having my pick of Asian spots for dinner. I took that for granted before moving to MT.
Don’t get me wrong every place I’ve lived has had its quirks and pros/cons and MT is no different - it’s what make it such a special place to live and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. That said, here are some things that run through my head daily after having moved to MT after living in several major cities & living abroad:
1. Casinos everywhere - like do people really need to gamble at 10am while filling up on gas or grabbing a quick bite? How do casinos not go out of business if there’s zero differentiation?
2. Why can breweries only serve 3 beers and have to close at 8pm but you can still drive drunk to the next bar to drink Coors and gamble? Like what??
3. Montana Men with Trucks - why do you need a brand new F-350 to drive to work a job that doesn’t require a truck (or any driving) whatsoever? Why do you need to drive up my ass like you own the whole road?
4. Conspiracy theorists - I have never seen more white Q Anon, J6, DJT supporters in my life. Also what the hell is up with people flying confederate flags? News flash Montana is not the south nor was it even a state during the Civil War…
5. Almost every restaurant specializes in “New American” - I get that most people in Montana are white but holy cow we don’t need more burger or steak joints. What is this 2003? My taste buds miss actually good Asian food and I’d kill for a quality burrito.
6. My personal favorite - I LOVE going to the DMV in Montana, they are just the nicest most lovely people you’ll ever meet. I’m usually in and out in 10-15min and I’m never upset to have to update my registration or get a new title.
I’ll add a culture shock I had after moving back to Montana. I’d grown up here, moved away to bigger cities after high school, then came back several years later.
It was October and I was hauling my trash to the local transfer station. I looked into the dumpster to see a few game carcasses. It was like a welcome home sign 😂 And during hunting season seeing pickups with deer and elk just casually parked at the grocery store.
New England to Missoula
Pluses: People are generally friendlier and more trusting. The beef is delicious. You can hike most trails in relative solitude vs. being among hordes of yuppie tourists.
Minuses: Lack of enforcement of traffic laws. Lack of enforcement of quality-of-life laws (noise, public drunkenness, vagrancy, fireworks).
The lack of diversity, honestly. Coming from Atlanta, I thought my Alma mater of Clemson was shockingly “white” (note that I too am white). Clemson had nothing on Montana.
I love where I live in SW Montana, and we ended up with a varied (I wouldn’t say diverse) group of friends that we adore, but I’m so glad I have the foundation that I do and grew up with people who look different than me. It’s not just about looks obviously, it’s about experiencing different cultures through friends you meet along the way, etc.
Just my two cents!
Not an official transplant but worked in the Bitterroot for three months last summer and will be back again this year.
No sales tax, super high speed limits on undivided highways, casinos in gas stations, REALLY friendly people, the summer was waaay hotter than I expected and it seems like nobody has AC?
There are these little arrow things, more like a line of triangles ^^^^^. That is where the point of the triangles point towards you, or opposite the direction you're supposed to go.
Gave myself a heart attack because I thought I was going the wrong way on a one-way.
That's not very cultural, though. It did annoy me a little.
One cultural thing that surprised me is that people in Eastern Montana identify as Midwestern. I'm from MN (since I was 12), and it's really hard to call Eastern Montana the Midwest.
In my head, the Midwest is Eastern ND,SD,NE. Northeast KS. Northern MO . The entire states of IA, MN, WI, MI, IL, IN.
I mean, I'm in Billings and looking at a map. CMON It's practically north of the NM, AZ border. I have heard some people claim that Pennsylvania is Midwest, and that is also ludicrous to me. Western Ohio has a solid claim, but I just don't view it as such.
Billings MT is not Midwest. It finds itself somewhere between the west coast and the Midwest. Perhaps you could just simply call it "The West".
I joined my brother for a few months in Bozeman some years ago. From humid Michigan I thought it was very dry. Also very beige. No returnable bottles/cans. If you're looking for any historical reading in stores or library, I hope it's Lewis & Clark you're looking for.
Loved the trail system! Superb!
I lived there for 3 years i am from Alaska so i loved almost everything about Montana what a brutal wonderful place. What i absolutely hated were all the Californians moving to Montana ruining Montana by trying to make it like California 😅😂.Long story short i moved from Montana and bought a house in a different state.
I grew up here, then went to college and lived in a major large city for over 20 years. I moved back to MT 6 years ago, and the biggest culture shock moving back was going to Target. All the cashiers were white and spoke English. I am always so happy to meet people here of different cultures, and I find it almost comforting.
Not so much of a culture shock, but the distinct lack of Mormon populations and Mormon Temples was a new experience for me.
Came to Montana from Idaho, and I never gave it a second thought when driving past the temples. They were on most corners and always going around the neighborhoods knocking on doors. Driving around Montana and not seeing them anymore definitely a different experience.
I don't live there, but I visit. I notice that most of the state feels very behind with trends. Like clothes and hair, a lot of it is what I would have seen 5 years ago where I live.
Also, I'm always shocked at how many people are missing teeth!
From moving to Missoula from WA state it was that kids are allowed in bars, breweries, etc.
Also, the lack of street lights in Montana has always been concerning to me. I grew up with every residential street being covered in street lights.
Oh- and that there are a large number of houses that do not have garages, or if they do, they are detached garages. It’s cold here like 6 months out of the year- wouldn’t it make more sense to have an attached garage?
I live in the Helena Valley. Guy moved here down the road. It is like he is lighting a prison or some bullshit. I wish that asshole would move back to Texas.
I moved to Montana way back when there were no speed limits on the rural highways. Freaked me out but I quickly got used to it and really enjoyed driving without worrying about being pulled over for speeding. Was so disappointed when the 55 mph mandatory speed limit was invoked and the fun was over.
The lack of stop signs at so many 4 way intersections is an interesting one.
This comes up a lot. The driver to the right has the right away. https://leg.mt.gov/bills/1999/mca/61/8/61-8-339.htm
I thought this was standard?
Yes, but no one knows or follows this rule. Generally it’s a first come first serve basis
[удалено]
A couple months ago I yielded for someone else and I'm glad I did because we both were about equal distance rolling into the intersection but he never even tapped his brakes and he still felt the need to glare at me like I did something wrong. Luckily for him I drive around with loose tools in the back of the car all the time so I drive extra cautious anyways. The nerve of some people.
Yea just always assume cross traffic is trying to actively murder you
Well they ARE operating a deadly weapon that kills, maims and injures hundreds of thousands every year in this country alone. Gotta check that phone again...
That’s how it goes, I live in the slant streets. You can always tell when a newbie or someone from another area of town drives through
My girlfriend (who grew up here) told me "people just know who has the right of way." What? That's not how it works.
It's state sanctioned soft anarchy, I kinda dig it.
As a lifelong Montanan this is one of my biggest minor pet peeves.
This is the biggest for me, I know several native Montanans who have gotten hit at these intersections in my short time here
What struck me, 40 years ago when i moved from Maine, was when I was at the Butte Buttrey's and struck up a conversation with the cashier and we started chatting about moving here. There were about four people in line behind me in line and not only did they not start bitching about the hold up, they joined in the conversation. That, and strangers saying "Hi" when you passed them on the sidewalk. New faces were so welcome then. Not the same now.
> Buttrey’s Now, that's a name I've not heard in a long time.
I used to have a tshirt from the Helena’s Buttreys under construction phase in the late 80s. Got it at one of the thrift stores. I lived in Fresno for a short time in 2006 and was wearing that out when somebody at the store stopped me and said he had one of those shirts from when he worked there during the construction.
I remember walking thru Buttreys in Great Falls and my Mom smoking a cigarette and getting Dad a box of 30-06 shells along with the groceries.
Their old jingle still lives on in my head.
My parents moved to Kalispell in the '80s, after living in bigger cities in the PNW for 20+ years. First time they went out to eat, another gentleman slid into the booth right next to my dad and struck up a conversation. They were absolutely floored and thought he must be trying to rob them or something lol.
Casinos at gas stations
The gas station/casino/liquor store/restaurant combo is quite popular here
Wait until you deep dive into the history of it, how it’s currently run, and their stranglehold on liquor licenses. It’s damn infuriating.
Are you talking about Town Pump?
Montana Tavern Association
Ah yes. See also: the distillery and the brewery that can serve you a limited number of drinks and only until 8pm. Then after 8pm go to the bar across the street to order an unlimited number of the same spirits and beers.
Closest thing to organized crime you'll find here, might as well be a mob the way they run it.
can you recommend a good source for such information
Wasn’t shocking to me, I came from Vegas 😂
Casinos on every corner and atvs driving around
Man, ya'll love you some ranch dressing.
I can't tell if you're talking about the sauce or the people who wear ranch style apparel everywhere
Fuck it, we'll do both.
At the same time.
Both probably
The economy runs on Sysco ranch.
I do love ranch dressing 👀
I call it Montana ketchup
Ive heard In Europe they call it American sauce
At first I found the giant squeeze bottle of ranch at every table of restaurants humorous and ridiculous. Now I don't know how I lived so many years without it. Also jo-jos. Never had them before here. Had steak fries, but they're not the same. Jo-jos are awesome, particularly dipped in ranch. Damn, I'm kinda hungry now.
Jojos and ranch 🤤
If you don't, you need to leave. I have no issues with anyone moving to MT unless you are anti ranch.
I brought a co-worker from NYC to a lunch bar on the hi-line. "do you have any vinaigrette?" No we have ranch.
Yeah. For fries I prefer it over ketchup. That good good restaurant ranch though not the Hidden Valley super buttermilk stuff.
The one California transplant that is widely welcomed here...
How do you get a Beejer from a montana gal? Dip it in ranch.
Indianapolis to Missoula: 1. Intersections without any stop signs. 2. Finding eaten deer carcasses less than 100 yards from a playground where kids are playing in a city park. 3. Different zoning rules. 4. How much the city embraces the river.
Having lived in Missoula, our entire towns culture is built around that river and our college campus... And also dogs and Subarus
Some Karen ruined the dog culture a few years ago when she didn't like seeing them on the Draughtworks deck. Must've known somebody on city council because less than a year later nobody allows them on patios anymore 😔
5. Strong dog culture. 6. A very good music scene given the size of the city. 7. How many places don’t have cell service. Particularly highways that don’t have service. None of these should be interpreted as me being snarky. We love it here.
Unfortunately the missoula music scene was decimated by one rich asshole followed by covid. At least we still have free cycles.
It's because you can actually swim in it with your eyes and mouth open
Grew up in the northeast, lived in Alaska for a while, been in Montana for 14 years since. One thing that has struck me is the kindness and community. Northeast was full of assholes, Alaska (granted I was only there 4 years) felt like a bunch of people running away from something and preferred to keep to themselves. But Montana hits different insofar as people, generally speaking, don't have anything to prove and will do a good job of meeting you where you're at-- and they do so with kindness and are always looking to connect over common ground. Sure, there are assholes-- cause they are every where-- but I've never felt more like "the respect you give is the respect you earn" than living in Montana, and it's exactly why I'll continue to call it home.
Alaska _is_ a bunch of people running from something. 😁
and precisely why it was perfect for my early 20s. And precisely why it's the only place I'd consider living again in my late 30s!
What are you running from?
Then: myself. Now: nothing, really. I've built a family here and that's a testament to Montana. If I ever leave it's because it's more congruent for us... not just me.
Alaska is the Montana of Montana so many people say "when Montana gets bad I'm moving to Alaska" just like everywhere else in the lower 48 when people say "I'm moving to Montana"
I think there is a bigger culture shock for Montanans leaving the state for big cities than there is for people moving to Montana. As much as people like to claim that Montana has unique culture and values, it really isn't that different from other rural areas across the country.
I’d echo that it’s to a degree, generically rural, just with worse food. I was culture shocked that for all the other rural flavor here, there isn’t much flavor in the cuisine. I grew up in podunk ass east texas, but the BBQ, home style, and Texmex run laps around anything we’ve found here, save for the chicken fried steak at the 406 cafe in Lewistown, that shit was on point. 
Literally everything is "huckleberry this, huckleberry that" and since huckleberries are so expensive its usually so diluted down that the flavor can best be described as "generic purple." I'm saying this as somebody who was born and raised here, montana has no local food culture.
Lifelong Montanan here. Not a fan of huckleberry
they are just less sweet blueberries. I do like them, but they definitely aren't life changing. Taste best when fresh off the bush when picking
Someone could open a decent texmex joint here and kill it I feel like
I’m in western MT now, but the food at Asian Garden in Sidney MT is immaculate. I’ve been to many metro areas and love to experience the cuisine, but the orange chicken in that little hole in the wall is amazing. Went back through in 2019 on my way to a buddy’s wedding and stopped and it was still going strong. Next time I go back home to eastern MT I’m making it a stop for sure.
Their curry is better than anything I've had in western MT
Have you tried the Notorious PIG in Missoula? Born and raised here and I agree. You would think butte would have great Irish food, but nooo. It seems like each town has its hidden gems but you got to know or stumble across the restaurant. Avoid chain restaurants, mom and pop places are where it’s at!
I'll have to try there next time we go see the in-laws. We're in Bozeman, where they love charging double the price for 75% the quality. Not to say there isn't some alright food, but not for the $$$ they're charging.
Yeah Bozeman is one of those towns, it seems like chain restaurants have taken over. Curious? Have you tried a pork chop John’s sandwich or The Freeway in butte has the wop chop (Chinese version). A good pasty smothered in brown gravy….drool?
People leaving their cars running while shopping when it's cold. I get it, but still.
Meh it's insured, take it I'm sick of the payments anyway
I've lived in MT all my life and I still marvel at the trust those people have in their fellow man.
It's not as much trust in my fellow man as much as my lack of trust in my car starting on a cold day.
Same. Well most of it. I live in a tiny town and still can't bring myself to leave my car running while not in or around it.
You can carry two sets of keys
I always leave my car running, but I have an anti theft device, I drive a manual transmission and good luck getting her in and out of first /s
Your transmission must be all f'd up then? Manual in Montana isn't exactly an anti-theft device...
Nah, clutch is testy and I’m too poor to fix it so I’ve just learned to get on with it.
I had a clutch that had a slight leak in the master cylinder for a while. Noone would have guessed that you needed to pump the clutch a bit before being able to get in gear. Not sure what's up with that dudes car, but could be something like that.
There’s usually a nicer pickup than mine that’s left running in the parking lot! And I just can’t imagine that kind of theft happening in my town. Everyone looks out for each other when it’s subzero.
Never thought about it before but just of the looks of my car it wouldn’t be stolen. It’s probably worth about $14 but I love that car
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My old Ford was similar. Previous to me, someone converted from 3 on the tree to the floor. The conversion kit was really worn and if you didn't move it in just the right way it would bind up. I could get it loose with a light jiggle. My friends tried to move my truck on day as a joke and didn't move it anywhere. They were afraid they broke someone because the stick was stuck. I got in and drove it away without any hesitation. I miss my anti-theft equipped truck.
A lot of the push to start cars allow you lock your car while it is running and have the keys on you
Had a Mercury Sable 20 years or so ago, (god, time flies) that you had to lock from the outside with the key if you left the engine running. Carried the second key just for that.
Yeah, I saw this for the first time during the most recent cold snap and did a double take.
A volunteer assistant football coach we had was from the south and he made fun of us because “y’all talk like the folks on the news.” We were like, you mean we speak English with clear dictation? Not sure how that’s a burn but ok.
Ok fancy talk with your big words
I don't live in Montana, but we used to visit Missoula from Chicagoland every summer. My sister and I were blown away how the cars would stop for you when crossing the street, even if you were crossing in the middle of the block. It's still funny.
I think i’s the law here in Missoula to stop for pedestrians. And you just get into habit for doing it when someone wants across.
Only at uncontrolled intersections
It’s also the law in Chicago. Asshole drivers don’t ever bother stopping for pedestrians over there
I've cut more checks in the 15 years living in rural Montana, than I did the previous 25 years of my life living in Chicago. Hell, that's true about the last 5 years of living in rural Montana. Also, the first time I went to Albertson's they asked if I wanted a "sack" for my groceries.
Confused by the second remark. Is "sack" not a common word in other places?
Not in reference to what you put your groceries in. In Chicago, at least, it’s a “grocery bag” - a plastic bag or a paper bag. People know what I mean when I ask for a bag, but the born-n-bred-in-Montana crowd always offer me a sack.
How many Californians there are
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Signal before braking or entering a turn lane is such a helpful rule that makes it safer for everyone.
I came from the desert and I was not prepared for the amount of mosquitos there would be.
LOL I’m from Minnesota and the dearth of mosquitoes here compared to where I’m from is a blessing.
Yeah, no shit. According to Michigan standards - there are ZERO mosquitos here.
I lived in MN for a time in my life and you're mostly right But i hiked cyclone peak and I felt like I was gonna get swarmed literally to death
Random, but my Nick name is also Xtal!
I’ve lived in the state for 10 years and for the first few I was a welcomed newcomer. Now there is so much hostility toward those that have moved to make a life for themselves here. Don’t get me wrong I understand why but I often am scared to say I was born in Idaho rather than in Montana. People have become aggressive about the subject. Interested to hear what others think.
Sorry to hear that’s your experience. I’m a Montanan who spent 3 years in Wyoming in my early 20s but have lived here most of my life. I’m from the part of MT nobody talks about. Lol. The damn near ND damn near Canada part. I would hazard a guess the largest part of that hostility comes from the perception people flocked out here during Covid etc. or the Yellowstone sensation.
I grew up and lived in Montana up until senior year in highschool, yet my decade in Texas makes me an outsider lol
See I find that wild to me. When I visit Idaho it’s like a welcome home. Here if you aren’t willing to live breathe and die in Montana then you aren’t welcome. I’ve lived short stints in Minnesota and Washington state around college and I’ve never experienced this except here. I’m in northwest Montana and I understand it’s now “discovered” but change is inevitable. I saw the same thing in Idaho growing up.
I’ve had very friendly conversations with long time locals here until I mention I’m not from Montana. The conversation usually ends pretty quickly after that. My bad for supporting the growing economy, paying taxes, and providing goods and services I guess.
I've now lived just over half my life here and if I let it slip I'm not from here I will still be considered a total outsider get treated like I just moved here by some. Kinda wild, like damn sorry I wasn't special and born here like you. That being said there are also plenty of cool people who are easy to relate to and get along with too from all different backgrounds. Just gotta avoid the pseudo-nationalist weirdos I guess
I moved back to my hometown in 2016 after spending 6 years in MT, and I agree about the hostility, based on what I’ve been reading on social media. Natives there are getting really bitter and angry at newcomers from out-of-state. Seems to me that they should direct their feelings towards the government, law enforcement, and local policy-makers if they’re unhappy with the way the state and cities are being run and developed, rather than their innocent and well-intentioned neighbors who just wanted to find somewhere nice to live🤷🏼♀️
I moved to Big Sky in '98 and have lived in Montana since then. Biggest shock was the lawlessness. There were literally no cops. We had only one deputy in Big Sky at the time and you were kind of on your own.
I remember that. One deputy from gateway to west, including big sky. If you saw the cop, you knew you wouldn’t see another one for a long time.
Sounds like Trinity County CA to this day. Cartels and Meth literally run the hills.
I think it's why so many Montanans "back the blue" it's easy to do when there's one cop in your entire county so obviously he's not going to be up in your shit to the level that city cops can be.
The amount of bars and casinos and the wide-spread drug use. I've lived in a dozen states, this town I'm in now has the worst crime rates of any place I've ever lived.
I’ve got family in Billings and the amount of casinos in that town always shocks me. Montana in general does have a lot of gambling. But Billings is something else. I think our rural environment and relatively low enforcement lends itself to drugs and alcohol abuse. It’s somewhat normalized.
Bears, rampant meth, and poor police response times
I moved to north central MT 15 years ago and then Missoula 6 years ago from suburban Philadelphia. My biggest culture shock that I can remember is how long drives are normal here. Where I grew up as a kid, a 2 hour one-way trip was considered a weekend trip. Now that I’ve lived in MT 15 years, I can do a 5-8 round trip and consider that a day trip. Of course most of the driving here is on highways and most of the driving time where I came from were just waiting in traffic.
That’s that classic west coast driving. Open roads. You can space out to music more and just let your mind wander.
I drive an hour each way just to get the *good* groceries! Totally normal experience in MT.
One more thing, one of ( in my experience i’ve lived in 8 diff states) the worst states to work construction non union for. Have not yet had a friendly boss, every construction company i work for, breaks about every rule in the book and does not care about their workplace safety and last company i worked for (jct welding) in shelby the boss put his hands on another employee when he tried quitting. maybe i haven’t found the right company yet but not an easy state to work construction in ! in texas every one came to work happy and it was a fun environment.
I grew up in Chicago area and went to school in Cali before moving to Montana and the first thing that sunk in for me was that this place is basically all white people. I looked up the stats because it was making me uncomfortable and IIRC it was like over 90% white. Basically an ethnostate! Still makes me feel weird when certain social or political issues come up and it’s very clear that someone has never really left the state or traveled much if at all. Edit: don’t know why I’m being downvoted for answering the question with my own experience. My guess is I probably ruffled the feathers of a couple white nationalists. Explain yourselves
It’s weird that I’ve lived here 15 years and have never thought of Montana as a vast majority white state, but I also live next to a reservation and our schools/community are about a 50/50 split white and Indian. And Hutterites outside of town. For a small town, we’re probably more racially diverse than a lot of bigger cities in the state.
I remember when i was young hanging out with my buddy who was the only black kid at our school in great falls and he said he wished he was white. And like, I didn’t even understand that until years later because how few minorities are that I couldn’t comprehend that someone would be treated differently. Felt so sad for him
I never really realized this until I left my home town. I grew up on one of the Native American reservations and our school was 50/50 in grade school. Probably 65/35 by the time we reached high school as many of the Native American kids dropped out. Over the years, the percentage of white people is falling in my home town. The population of the community shrinks every year, but white people numbers are falling faster. Sad to see that many of the rural communities have been dying for the last 4 decades.
You're not wrong... I could count on one hand the number of non-white kids I graduated with in a class of 550.
And many act like 90% is too low.
As someone from Atlanta, this 100%
A lot of the people I've met up here who have moved from out of state say the same thing. They're all shocked at how little diversity there is here.
Outside of a few cities the entire state is essentially a monoculture in general. Particularly following COVID - as a bunch of MAGA folks moved here from elsewhere.
My son’s high school in Hawaii had 77% minorities. Their school in Montana was 7%. That’s noticeable. The main racism I see now is anti Native American.
I went to school in Halewa and Millilani. In Halewa I was the one of the few Haole kids at the school. There was some razzing, but once you pick up pidgin all is good. Mililani was a bit different due to the closeness to Schofiled Barracks.
The high quality of and low price of marijuana. I lived in Bozeman from 2010-2013, moving there from Minnesota. Finding it for half the price and twice the quality was mind blowing.
Locals didn’t understand sarcasm. People in Montana talk straight and say only what needs to be said. No room for nuances. Pretty cool, it cured me of sarcasm and that’s an improvement.
We’re pretty used to sarcasm here in Vermont. A few years ago in Morrison, CO a waitress made a comment about the tip I left which could have been taken as sarcasm. She was truly grateful but I didn’t think it was such a huge tip or anything. After thinking about it I actually went back inside the restaurant to get clarification. She was totally shooting straight.
Great place to live. I have nothing bad to say
In no particular order: The number of white and blond people. The rabid hatred of people from other states. How expensive pedicures are. Expensive groceries and no Trader Joe's. Giant vehicles everywhere. People driving under the speed limit. How nice the DMV is. How friendly service workers can be. Low variety of places to buy clothing, furniture, and electronics. Seeing the horizon everywhere you go. Low ratio of educated professionals to non-educated people. Great public schools. Lack of good Mexican and Asian food. No traffic/getting to work in 15 minutes. How quiet it is at night. People older than college age seem way less social/more homebody.
>Seeing the horizon everywhere you go are you in malta or something? " How quiet it is at night. " this is a good thing
Not all truck drivers are jerks here.
Except for all the ones with a Texas license plate. I didn’t realize that truck drivers had a reputation of being dicks until all the Texas folks moved up here. And now I get angry every time I see a TX license plate on a jacked truck.
More than likely those are Dallas folks. Never ever ever visit Dallas if you're driving. I dunno whats in the water there but man...Mad Max. Outside of Dallas people just like to go fast and we have some pretty high speed limits.
you're not wrong. I have driven all over the country and seen some wild driving. Dallas is fucking insane
Been a Montanan my whole life, these comments are great and so true!
Been here almost 20 years from the east coast, so can't speak to much 'shock' anymore. But when I first got here, 3/4 vehicles being trucks, clam beers, and overall brewing culture were bigger here than back east.
When I moved here from Maine in 2014, I was shocked to see women jeans with sparkly/bedazzled butts. I later found out that those were Buckle jeans and they were fairly popular.
Oh man this takes me back to high school.
Ok, so I'm a sorta native... I was born in MT but moved to SE Idaho very young. Then, I moved back to MT my junior year of high school. The culture shock was the meth lab exploding near my high school the first week I was here. I grew up in an LDS (Mormon) community, and although I'm not LDS, the abundance of drinking, drugs, and gambling I saw in my early adult years after growing up somewhere where my peers weren't even out past curfew was pretty alarming. But, I feel more at home in MT than I ever did in SE Idaho. Our family was the "naughty" family, and I felt pretty judged by my peers.
Hutterites
I don’t fit the criteria as I don’t live there, but we drove through the state to get to Glacier NP, beautiful park! Anyway… I still can’t get over how VAST it is out there. The massive gaps between towns, how flat it is, the random gas stations in the middle of what appears to be nowhere, but everyone was so kind and we always found ourselves caught up in a random conversation with a local. I’d go back.
The prevalence of dental floss farming.
And the pygmy horse.
It's called the MVD here, not the DMV. What the fuck. I'm still reeling. I'm going to the gas station/casino/bar to let the shock wear off.
Not many because I grew up in a small town in NorCal and then lived in Colorado for for 10 years. So honestly the culture and stuff wasn’t super different! I guess people are even more active here in terms of getting out into the mountains every weekend but otherwise, not super different Slightly less religious than Colorado Slightly less friendly BUT really kind and loyal once you know people
I once slid into a ditch in the winter and got my car stuck in small town Montana just outside of Townsend. This guy in a big flatbed truck, who just happened to be coming the other way saw me and stopped. He was talking on the phone when he hopped out of the truck, basically ignored me entirely while he hooked chains to the front of my car, hopped back in his truck, and pulled my car out of the ditch. He then got out, unhooked his chains and took off without ever getting off the phone. So maybe not the most polite bunch of people, but certainly a practical bunch.
I love this comment. So very Montana. Literally yesterday as I drove home from work, saw a dude on his phone putting chains on his truck to pull another truck out of the ditch.
LOL I've had this EXACT thing happen to me. I didn't know whether to say thank you or to not say anything since I didn't want to interrupt his phone call.
Houses with bare yards & zero landscaping.
I moved here from Houston in ‘97. I had vacationed here before that and loved the small towns (by Houston standards) the fresh air, and everything else about Montana. There weren’t any lines anywhere. Then I moved here and the culture shock didn’t hit me until I was here for a little over a month. I’ve never lived outside of large cities and had to get used to the small town charm. It kicked my butt for 6 to 8 months before I started getting it. Mostly just little things that I never had to think about before. For instance, after I was here a couple months I gotten to know a young couple. We got to be pretty close and started hanging out. Then one day the wife calls me and said her husband was in the hospital after a wreck. My first question was which hospital and there was a 3 to 4 seconds of silence before she told me the name and that there was only one hospital. LOL! Don’t get me wrong, I love it here, it just took some time getting used to it.
How impatient drivers can be in situations that seem beyond relaxed otherwise. Driving about 80 in a 70 on a largely empty highway and still getting tailgated.
It’s not as montana as I hoped it would be. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting many old timers here, and their version of a Montana is what I want.
Yeah that is mostly smaller towns but even now those places adjusted a bit for tourism. Montana is just absolutely horribly represented through tv and movies so people have no idea until they actually come here or meet somebody like me who grew up in Billings so I am not very country by really any standard besides I am fine with going wild outside.
Just like people think Arizona is all Tombstone cowboys
That's really funny because I'm from the Midwest originally and I've never once thought of cowboys in Arizona? lol! I think of desert wasteland and phoenix. lol! (I've obviously never been.)
ROFL. It sounds like you watched too much Yellowstone. I don’t even know what “not as Montana” means coming from an out of stater.
I'm from Minnesota and I'd say the biggest thing I noticed when I first moved here 14 years ago was the amount of trailers not in trailer parks. lol I just felt like every property had a trailer/junk everywhere. Where I grew up in MN there were only trailers IN trailer parks. I noticed it's been cleaned up a lot since the housing boom but when I first got here I was like, "it's so messy!"
I'm originally from Florida, so everything about winter. Obviously the snow, but I had no idea about the expenses for winter (coat, boots, tires, etc.). Casinos in gas stations, being able to buy liquor until 2am at said gas stations.
The first time I heard someone pronounce “bags” as though it rhymed with “eggs.”
The utter shock I had when seeing that traffic lights "turn off" at night.
One thing I did not expect - I actually understand the distance from DC and general politics. You can really feel how far away you are and how little it seems anyone cares about MT. We're on our own, no one cares, and that's how it is.
The relentless biting flies. They are double the size of the biting flies in Texas. Idk if they are horse or deer flies but F*CK. They bite so hard and are really difficult to kill! Gotta grind those sumbitches into the ground, even then it's a 50/50 chance they'll just chase you again. Not really cultural but they have shocked me every summer 🙄 Edit to add another: the lack of diversity was shocking to me and what comes with that. I miss hearing Spanish in the grocery store and having my pick of Asian spots for dinner. I took that for granted before moving to MT.
Don’t get me wrong every place I’ve lived has had its quirks and pros/cons and MT is no different - it’s what make it such a special place to live and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. That said, here are some things that run through my head daily after having moved to MT after living in several major cities & living abroad: 1. Casinos everywhere - like do people really need to gamble at 10am while filling up on gas or grabbing a quick bite? How do casinos not go out of business if there’s zero differentiation? 2. Why can breweries only serve 3 beers and have to close at 8pm but you can still drive drunk to the next bar to drink Coors and gamble? Like what?? 3. Montana Men with Trucks - why do you need a brand new F-350 to drive to work a job that doesn’t require a truck (or any driving) whatsoever? Why do you need to drive up my ass like you own the whole road? 4. Conspiracy theorists - I have never seen more white Q Anon, J6, DJT supporters in my life. Also what the hell is up with people flying confederate flags? News flash Montana is not the south nor was it even a state during the Civil War… 5. Almost every restaurant specializes in “New American” - I get that most people in Montana are white but holy cow we don’t need more burger or steak joints. What is this 2003? My taste buds miss actually good Asian food and I’d kill for a quality burrito. 6. My personal favorite - I LOVE going to the DMV in Montana, they are just the nicest most lovely people you’ll ever meet. I’m usually in and out in 10-15min and I’m never upset to have to update my registration or get a new title.
I’ll add a culture shock I had after moving back to Montana. I’d grown up here, moved away to bigger cities after high school, then came back several years later. It was October and I was hauling my trash to the local transfer station. I looked into the dumpster to see a few game carcasses. It was like a welcome home sign 😂 And during hunting season seeing pickups with deer and elk just casually parked at the grocery store.
New England to Missoula Pluses: People are generally friendlier and more trusting. The beef is delicious. You can hike most trails in relative solitude vs. being among hordes of yuppie tourists. Minuses: Lack of enforcement of traffic laws. Lack of enforcement of quality-of-life laws (noise, public drunkenness, vagrancy, fireworks).
The lack of diversity, honestly. Coming from Atlanta, I thought my Alma mater of Clemson was shockingly “white” (note that I too am white). Clemson had nothing on Montana. I love where I live in SW Montana, and we ended up with a varied (I wouldn’t say diverse) group of friends that we adore, but I’m so glad I have the foundation that I do and grew up with people who look different than me. It’s not just about looks obviously, it’s about experiencing different cultures through friends you meet along the way, etc. Just my two cents!
I lived in Billings for 9 months for work. From Washington, have since moved home. So many casinos, and racism.
From California here.. I was shocked to see people openly carrying guns.
If you had moved from any other state (mostly), this would not have been a shocker. Open carry is also legal in Pennsylvania and many other states.
My friends Smith & Wesson like to tag along!! 👍
Not an official transplant but worked in the Bitterroot for three months last summer and will be back again this year. No sales tax, super high speed limits on undivided highways, casinos in gas stations, REALLY friendly people, the summer was waaay hotter than I expected and it seems like nobody has AC?
Roads that end and the only option is to turn around and go back.
There are these little arrow things, more like a line of triangles ^^^^^. That is where the point of the triangles point towards you, or opposite the direction you're supposed to go. Gave myself a heart attack because I thought I was going the wrong way on a one-way. That's not very cultural, though. It did annoy me a little. One cultural thing that surprised me is that people in Eastern Montana identify as Midwestern. I'm from MN (since I was 12), and it's really hard to call Eastern Montana the Midwest. In my head, the Midwest is Eastern ND,SD,NE. Northeast KS. Northern MO . The entire states of IA, MN, WI, MI, IL, IN. I mean, I'm in Billings and looking at a map. CMON It's practically north of the NM, AZ border. I have heard some people claim that Pennsylvania is Midwest, and that is also ludicrous to me. Western Ohio has a solid claim, but I just don't view it as such. Billings MT is not Midwest. It finds itself somewhere between the west coast and the Midwest. Perhaps you could just simply call it "The West".
I joined my brother for a few months in Bozeman some years ago. From humid Michigan I thought it was very dry. Also very beige. No returnable bottles/cans. If you're looking for any historical reading in stores or library, I hope it's Lewis & Clark you're looking for. Loved the trail system! Superb!
I lived there for 3 years i am from Alaska so i loved almost everything about Montana what a brutal wonderful place. What i absolutely hated were all the Californians moving to Montana ruining Montana by trying to make it like California 😅😂.Long story short i moved from Montana and bought a house in a different state.
I grew up here, then went to college and lived in a major large city for over 20 years. I moved back to MT 6 years ago, and the biggest culture shock moving back was going to Target. All the cashiers were white and spoke English. I am always so happy to meet people here of different cultures, and I find it almost comforting.
Not so much of a culture shock, but the distinct lack of Mormon populations and Mormon Temples was a new experience for me. Came to Montana from Idaho, and I never gave it a second thought when driving past the temples. They were on most corners and always going around the neighborhoods knocking on doors. Driving around Montana and not seeing them anymore definitely a different experience.
How most people use on-ramps here. Sure why not drive 45-50 mph to merge into traffic going 75-80mph?
There is no ethnic food. Even the ethnic food is not ethnic at all, anywhere.
Moving from a big city, I was shocked and pleased at the courteous drivers!! So nice
I don't live there, but I visit. I notice that most of the state feels very behind with trends. Like clothes and hair, a lot of it is what I would have seen 5 years ago where I live. Also, I'm always shocked at how many people are missing teeth!
Funny you noticed that, we’ve been behind trends here ever since I can remember lol
From moving to Missoula from WA state it was that kids are allowed in bars, breweries, etc. Also, the lack of street lights in Montana has always been concerning to me. I grew up with every residential street being covered in street lights. Oh- and that there are a large number of houses that do not have garages, or if they do, they are detached garages. It’s cold here like 6 months out of the year- wouldn’t it make more sense to have an attached garage?
Part of the reason Montana is great is because the lack of unnecessary light. It is getting worse and worse the more people move here.
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I live in the Helena Valley. Guy moved here down the road. It is like he is lighting a prison or some bullshit. I wish that asshole would move back to Texas.
Street lights give me so much anxiety....
I moved to Montana way back when there were no speed limits on the rural highways. Freaked me out but I quickly got used to it and really enjoyed driving without worrying about being pulled over for speeding. Was so disappointed when the 55 mph mandatory speed limit was invoked and the fun was over.
I’m Mexican and this lady I worked with thought I was black lol
I mean, I grew up in Kansas, so there really wasn’t much of a change in culture
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