Missoula

Yesterday marked my two month anniversary as a Missoula, Montana resident and the progression amazes me everyday! I was scared when I moved here, very anxious. I didn’t know what to expect. I returned as a college student not having the confidence in myself to know if I could truly succeed in that endeavor. I didn’t know if I was going to make any friends, like my roommates/apartment, or ANYTHING about this seemingly foreign place. But guess what!!! I LOVE IT HERE!!!!!! I really lucked out—I moved into a house sight-unseen only having talked to one of my prospective roommates a little. But I had a good feeling about the situation all along and that fact was a small comfort to me. I fit right in, became friends with several people who had connections to the house and people through the ward and I haven’t looked back since.

Okay, well, maybe I’ve looked back a little. It took me a couple of weeks to get fully comfortable with my new life and everyday, every week a little more. I was in Missoula for a week when I went home over Memorial Day and spent most of the holiday in Yellowstone. That was hard. Yellowstone was my home for over four years. I had the most life-changing experiences to date there. If it weren’t for Yellowstone, I would probably never have moved to Missoula because it was those experiences in Yellowstone that lead me to pursue an education in recreation—the reason I came to Missoula. When I was in Yellowstone over Memorial Day, I was still anxious and scared about the decision I’d made. I kept thinking how much easier it would have been to just stay in Yellowstone where I was comfortable. Would it have been easier? Heck yes! Would it have been worth it? No. When asked why I decided to go back to school and leave Yellowstone after only one season as a park ranger, a job I’d long-sought, I’d say, “I came to a point where I was no longer progressing”. I think I did what I needed to do, learned what I needed to learn while in Yellowstone and now it was time to take that culmination and apply it to a new facet in life. I’m still amazed everyday how it has all worked out. How I was lead to Missoula, how I finally let go of the fear that has imprisoned me for most of my life, had a little faith, believed in myself, and have flourished.

School is going well, better than I could have EVER imagined. I’ve told several people that it amazes me everyday the difference a little studying can make. Studying is huge, but also a little maturity and self-confidence. I returned to school lacking self-confidence that I was smart enough to take college classes since it had been so long since I’d been in school and I wasn’t the best student then. But once I started to study, with a lot of help and encouragement from my roommate, the confidence came and I’m going to pass my first 11 college credits in 7 years!!!!! (knock on wood—I still have a week of class left)