Why Montana Makes Me Happy

So, my happiness project Wednesday blog didn't happen yesterday.  I took a nap instead.  

Waking up today, seeing an inch of snow covering the lovely green ground, I had to hit the happiness reset button.  Sometimes you have to realign your attitude if you truly want to be happy.  As Gretchen Rubin says again and again in her book, "It's EASY to be unhappy.  Being happy takes effort."  I wonder if it snows in May where she lives?

Why I Love Living in Montana

• If there is a blizzard in any of the 10 months in which a blizzard can easily happen, rest assured if you get stranded by in a ditch, someone will surely help you.  You don't have to be afraid of the guy in the 4 X 4 who pulls you out, nor is he so afraid of you he drives right by.
• If there is said blizzard, your neighbor will probably shovel your sidewalk if you happen to sleep in.  (You'll do the same for her next time.)
• If you are driving on a dirt road and meet a passing vehicle, the driver will wave at you.  Nope, you won't know them; it's just something that happens.
• Even though winter lasts approximately 10 months, with occasional 70 degree days in March (obviously designed to test your endurance), the sun shines almost every day.  We live in one of the sunniest places on the planet.
• When humans finally get on board with clean energy (hooray!!!), our wind energy is going to power most of the U.S.  Seriously.  
• I love that people here will still barter grass-fed beef, for say, birth doula service.
• Even though Montanans have often been known for being red-necked, and bigoted (not to mention the home of the Unibomber and Freemen), we also have a deserved reputation for live and let live and tolerance.  Really.  We may not be the most diverse state in the union, but we try.  And we've got a long-standing historical ethical of respect for hard work and diverse opinions.  Who elected the first woman in Congress?  (who happened to be a pacifist, no less.)  Look it up.

• What makes me really happy about living here?  I feel safe.  I can see the sky.  I love the wide open prairie where you can see nothing and nothing and nothing forever.  And our mountains are among the most beautiful, spiritual, sacred places on the planet.  Our rivers are among the cleanest and wildest left anywhere.
• You can get lost here.  Physically, sure.  But metaphorically.  It's a place where you can reinvent yourself and we'll let you.
• We are home to just about no natural disasters.  No oil spills (ok, that's not natural anyway), flooding is rare, tornadoes are rarer, no hurricanes or tsunamis (those scare the crap out of me), we're a major earthquake zone, but we never seem to have any (knock wood).  Speaking of wood - forest fires are no fun - but back to happiness.  Can't remember the last time one of our cities experienced a riot either.
• And finally, it's a place that snows in May.  Just to test your love.  I pass!  I love you Montana.  Thank you for taking good care of me.  I'll try to do the same.