In the past decade living here in Jackson Hole, at least half of the people I know that moved away have now moved back. Other friends have moved here from Whitefish, Breckenridge, Aspen, Missoula and Telluride, and a few have left to go to Bend, Tahoe, Bozeman and Durango. What’s my point?
Maybe once you catch the mountain bug, it just stays in your system forever. It is a uniquely wonderful lifestyle (at least for those who love the mountains) which can be just flat-out addicting. Some move away to the city thinking they will have greater opportunities on all levels only to find out that those opportunities paled in comparison to what they had found living in the mountains.
If you are currently a self-proclaimed ski bum starting to think of looking for a full-time career, just don’t be so sure that you have to leave your dream lifestyle to pursue it.
I was reading through the newest.net blogs, and found Making It (or Not): Missoula’s Slippery Job Market written by a Missoula local resident. She ends the article with these fine words:
“Maybe that’s why they call Montana the last, best place: because it’s here that people choose to give up things they don’t really need in order to feed the parts of themselves that so often go neglected. It’s a place where hard work and relaxation hang out together; where money may be tight and hours long, but there are plenty of open ears and ridiculous sunsets to remind us why we stayed.”
I would have to agree … and say this probably rings true for many … in many mountain places.