Thoughts of a Mrs. Modern-Day Mountain Woman Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Don’t be afraid to get to know the locals.

We’ve moved… a lot!! To date, in our 15 years of marriage, we have moved 15 times. Granted, they haven’t all been complete upheaval moves, but I still count them as moves. I think sometimes of the Johnny Cash song, “I’ve Been Everywhere Man” where he sings about all the places he’s traveled to. The chorus goes like this:

“I've been everywhere, man

I've been everywhere, man

Crossed the desert's bare, man

I've breathed the mountain air, man

Of travel I've a'had my share, man

I've been everywhere”

Since marrying my husband, we’ve lived in four places in Missouri, four places in Colorado (since two of the locations were camps, we would move houses on the property and not actual zip code moves, which would bring Colorado moves to 8), and three places in Oregon. We’ve “been everywhere, man”!

Now, while these moves aren’t always easy, think moving across the country while pregnant or nursing a small one, they are always exciting! We’ve been able to see and do things across the country that we wouldn’t normally be able to do. We call our moves “working vacations” as we are blessed with the opportunity to travel and visit areas and work and know the culture and communities. I’ve definitely learned a few things from these moves!

To get to be a local, even if not a permanent local, you first have to get to know the locals. Locals will know where the best stores for sales are, where the best thrift stores are and where the safest and most fun parks and playgrounds are. Use their knowledge!

One of the first things I do when we move is to establish ourselves into this new community. The first places we seek out are a church, library, and school. All three of these places have a built-in community. Churches offer resources to guide and train our family in faith and offers a fun and safe place to worship and meet people with similar interests and values. The library is an educational wonder! Our children have learned to love the library and the quest for knowledge. Libraries offer programs to teach us and incorporate us into the community.

A Mrs. Modern-Day Mountain Woman may not always live in the mountains, but it is her responsibility to provide a safe and welcoming home, wherever that may be, for her family. We have lived in some beautiful and inspiring homes. We had the opportunity to live in a house that was built as a guest house for people traveling the Oregon Trail path, we’ve had the chance to live in the house where Enos Mills, the Father of Rocky Mountain National Park, lived and raised his daughter and wrote his books, and we’ve lived in apartments where you could smell your neighbor’s meals and hear their discussions and music. Each place has been completely different, and each place uniquely wonderful. In our Oregon apartment, we would try to be at the parks and playgrounds as much as possible. We were a one-car family and my husband needed it for work, so the girls (I was pregnant with Barrett at the time) and I would put multiple miles on the stroller and my legs to walk to all the area parks. Since it was Oregon, it was rainy a great deal of the time, but we learned to measure how much farther you slid off the slide in rain pants versus no rain pants! We learned how to be out of the house for most of the day but yet in a place that was still public, and we learned that you can walk just about anywhere if you have the energy. We met so many nice people and their pets this way! In our Enos Mills cabin, we learned how to live in a one-bedroom house with three children. We learned how to live without being near a town, and we learned how to play outside as much as possible because outside was much bigger than inside the house!

Looking for adventure.

Each house and location had its own set of challenges and learning curves to master. One thing they all had in common was that if you were willing to meet the locals, you could easily join a community. No matter where you go or live, this world is full of nice people. We have made life-long friends with people who wouldn’t be the friends we’d typically seek out, and we’ve been able to try different cultural experiences that we would not have had if we had stayed settled in the Midwest. Learn from those around you. Try out new places and experiences. Meet the locals and learn from them. Be open to God’s callings and His intent to move you from one place to another. You may be surprised at how much fun being a new local is, and you may be surprised at how great God’s provisions are for you!