thank u, next: leaving a mountain town for the big city
A classic cheesy line that holds true: Don’t be afraid to try something new.
This spring I left my comfortable and loving mountain town of Bozeman, MT for Boston, MA. I’m not here to be sappy, but as I drove away with the Bridger Range in my rearview mirror I cried like a little kid. I was feeling so grateful for the friends and adventures I had made along my path in Montana. I thought to myself “How can it really be over? And what the heck am I going to do in the city??”
When I got to Boston I quickly learned I did not fit in with the city folk. I had no idea how to use public transportation. There was nowhere to park my car. Beer was double the price and only sold at liquor stores. People actually locked their apartments and wore heels to work. My classmate once referred to me as “crunchy” for talking about wanting to go on a hike. Another commented on how much “Patagonia” I wore. Just months earlier, talking about going for a hike and wearing a cute Patagonia vest would have easily made someone say “hey, wanna go hike the M?”.
At times of great exhaustion and frustration, my mind always went back to the thought of “how do people live in a place without mountains and fresh air?”. (And if I’m being honest I escaped to Vermont every two weeks for the first two months of city living).
BUT, with time I learned that there are so many ways to be your outdoorsy self in a city. In Boston, you are never more than a 10-minute walk away from a beautiful park. You can find people running along the Charles River esplanade any time or day. People go to the gym, yoga, spin, barre, sail, row. I have found that I actually enjoy all of the lights and buildings. On every run, I see something new. And it’s comforting that the “true” mountains are only a couple hours away.
A classic cheesy line that holds true: Don’t be afraid to try something new. Find that new trail, coffee shop, brewery, or maybe even a city. Push yourself outside of your comfort zone. And remember, you can always move back to that mountain town you left 😉
Author: Emily Boyden
