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Three years ago, I watched "Fargo" for the first time. A week later, I moved to Montana. My family spent the days in between teasing me about moving to "the middle of nowhere" in their best Marge Gunderson impressions — "...and it's a beautiful day!" My geography wasn't so off that I believed their taunts about the frozen tundra and how I'd never taste real Mexican food again, but as a Texas girl who'd been to Big Sky Country only once on a ski trip, I really didn't know what to expect from the far north.
What I found was a welcome that put Southern hospitality to shame. I'd always told people I was from a small town in East Texas, and although Longview has a population of 70,000, that seemed accurate. (Pause for laughter.) Maybe it's just that I had never experienced the joys and frustrations of small-town life before, but I was about to take a crash course in what "community" really means.
I soon learned that in Lake County, a person could survive on spaghetti feeds alone. There's always a benefit dinner or fundraiser to attend, because there's always a neighbor whose barn burned or who was just diagnosed with cancer. Even in a recession, it seemed every story I wrote included a tribute to the generosity of locals who would give, give some more and keep giving despite their own hardships.
The Mission Valley boasts more beauty than I've ever seen in one place, from the sparkling waters of Flathead Lake to the jagged peaks of the mighty Mission Mountains. Fresh, piney mountain air, volcanic sunsets and abundant wildlife all add wonder to this place, but it's the people that make Montana great. And I'm so thankful to have experienced the true reason this is "The Last Best Place."
I've also learned that nowhere is summer more popular, and with good reason. That's partly why I've decided to spend mine soaking up as much sun as possible, which doesn't leave much time for reporting. I'll no longer be writing for the Valley Journal, but I have no doubt the dedicated team at the Journal will continue to bring you the best in community news coverage. As for me, I'll likely be exploring back roads or floating the river next time I see you, but meanwhile, I'd love to hear from you — my e-mail is MeleaBurke@gmail.com.
Thank you for the past three years. Thank you for sharing your stories with me. Thank you for trusting me and for teaching me.
And mostly, thank you for reading.
