![]() It is an understatement to say that it was difficult to adjust to being alone. I had pasted the bits and pieces of myself together on the outside so as to disguise the reality of my ‘unsettledness’ on the inside. I had come to learn that something was better than nothing. I had come to believe that comfort was inherently better than discomfort. When I arrived – a vegan, self-proclaimed-child-of-the-earth, wearing yoga pants and faux leather boots– I was immune to hyper-reality. Moving to Montana has helped me to appreciate the raw, unexaggerated, often un-beautifulness that is life. You observe the view from your summit with appreciation as the valley floor opens for miles and miles and miles. ![]() You begin to recognize the trees like old friends. You smell the pure, unaltered aroma of earth. I have found also that surprising things can happen when you are alone, quiet. There is no cell service, city lights, or crowds. As it turns out, the mountain doesn’t care how you look. Trail running has been a welcomed ritual and an adventure of its own.Īs a non-runner with short legs and a gait I was relentlessly teased for in middle school, I have found a peacefulness in running the mountain. In the three and a half year I’ve lived in Montana, my typical summer has been spent backpacking the wilderness or exploring uncharted rivers – adventures which make for great story-telling – however this summer I took job at a local law office and have exchanged my outdoor excursions for evening runs. It barreled through town just minutes after I returned from an evening run on a nearby mountain trail. Emergency services were overwhelmed and the 9-1-1 circuit jammed within minutes. Trees were uprooted and downed – landing in intersections, blocking sidewalks, and crushing parked cars. ![]() Power lines fell, leaving thousands without power for days. Lightning sparked fires on dry August hillsides and residential gardens. On August 11, 2015, in Missoula, Montana a wind super-storm reached gusts of 74 miles per hour, a Class I Hurricane. All Good Things are Wild and Free A #CUWild Story
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