Love at First Sight. Again.

Judy. We’ve been in Missoula, Montana for less than a week, and I’m already smitten.  Frankly, I fell in love with this city within 24 hours. Yeah, I know I’m fickle. Same thing happened in Aix-en-Provence in France and Cape Town in South Africa. And probably some other places. As Ted often answers when asked where his favorite destination has been, “The one I was in last.”

But Missoula has won my heart. Two acquaintances here have commented to me, “Yeah, Missoula does that to you,” and “Watch out—most people who come here stay here.”

That’s not a problem. I don’t think I could handle the winters at all, but summertime here is a dream. 

View from our balcony

A 15-minute drive takes you to the Rattlesnake Nat'l Rec. Area

We’re surrounded by mountains and foothills, and a fifteen-minute drive takes us to beautiful hiking spots. We’re close to most things we want to do: a short walk takes us downtown or to the bakeries (best baguettes I’ve had outside of France), cafes, and shops on the hip strip. The University of Montana is about five blocks down our shady street, and a ten-minute drive puts us at the Y, where Ted works out and I take yoga classes. The Clark Fork River is three blocks away, where Missoulians float, ride the rapids, sun on the banks, or walk the River Trail.

Clark Fork River

Wildflowers in a mountain meadow

On Saturdays there are two Farmers’ Markets (and another on Tuesday evenings) a short walk away. Last Saturday we spent about $30 and came home with enough lettuce to feed everyone in the apartment building we’re staying in, some of the best tomatoes I’ve had in months, sweet little strawberries, morel mushrooms, scallions, a pretty wildflower bouquet, and an iced coffee.  I gotta tell you, as much as I loved the one we went to back in Atlanta, $30 would not have gone nearly so far.

Twice a week there are free concerts in Caris Park, just across the river. Wednesdays they're at lunchtime, and on Thursdays, at 5:30. It doesn't get dark here till 10:30.

We found a church we like two and a half blocks away, and after early service on Sunday, we cheered on finishers in the Missoula Marathon.

Lord help me, there’s a lovely yarn shop around the corner and a thrift store nearby. Big Dipper Ice Cream has tasty and unusual flavors (cardamom, Mexican chocolate, among others) and is cheaper than we’ve seen most anyplace. And there’s no sales tax. On anything.

While we were at the Farmers’ Market, we stumbled on a booth for an International Choral Festival (www.choralfestival.org) and found they were looking for volunteers. Now we’re hooked up for a few days in two weeks to help sell tickets and usher. We always look for volunteer opportunities, and this one just showed up without our looking. Fits right into our interests, too: music and international.

Street corner garden--they're everywhere

Y’all, I’m not stupid. I know this place has problems of its own that we don’t know about. But when I saw people with politically different t-shirts  chatting amicably, my heart felt a tiny bit of hope. And something resembling love.

So this afternoon as thunder rolls across part of this Big Sky Country, I sit in our apartment, looking across the balcony at the trees and mountains and listening to classical music on an internet station out of Montreal, I feel content. And, yes, love.