Tag: experience

February 22, 2017 – Bozeman, Montana

“Are you building a wall?” I ask the young boy at the bar as he places multiple check presenters upright and positions them next to each other in a row. “Yeah, it’s Donald Trump’s wall!” I laugh out …

End: Year Two, Bozeman, Montana

Reflections: 2016. Two years in now. Although my year in Montana has come with more surprises than my year in Minnesota, I’m feeling more adjusted to my “routine of change.” It seems I’m becoming more of a seasonal …

August 12, 2016 – Bozeman, Montana

It’s crazy how fast one year can go. A shooting star appears, then vanishes. Just a year ago I was in Minnesota watching the Perseid meteor shower in a boat on a lake with my friends. This year …

July 31, 2016 – Hungry Horse, Montana

A timeline of the most remarkable July of my life: July 4th – Miri and I walk around Hungry Horse and observe hundreds of people lighting off their own fireworks in the center of town. The celebration lasts …

June 22, 2016 – Hungry Horse, Montana

“You have a routine of change,” Miri says to me as we hike down from a waterfall in Columbia Mountain, where we had a brief midday meditation session. We’re talking more about my lifestyle – our views on …

May 18, 2016 – Hungry Horse, Montana

Places I never thought I’d spend a month or more living in: -a pristine guest cabin (Crosslake, Minnesota) -a camper/trailer (Finland, Minnesota) -employee housing at a resort (Lutsen, Minnesota) -a tool shed (Hungry Horse, Montana) But here I …

April 30, 2016 – Helena, Montana

Time’s up. Though my hosts have offered me an extended stay, it’s time to move on to the next place. The next family. The next adventure. We’re watching “Beasts Of No Nation,” a movie about a young boy …

October 8, 2015 – Finland, Minnesota

“Let it go, let it go…” I can’t help but laugh out loud as I hear Genavive recite the infamous lines from the highest grossing Disney movie of all time. Should’ve been The Lion King. Amelia says that …

September 23, 2015 – Finland, Minnesota

“And I will sing this song…” My eyes are closed as I listen to a small chorus of mostly naked female naturalists, along with my hosts’ son, who is completely nude. I wish I had that kind of …

September 7, 2015 – Finland, Minnesota

From riches to rags. Well, not exactly. But this is quite the opposite set-up compared to my last host. The community cabin for the farm workers has no running water, no bathroom, limited electricity due to the solar …