the great (sometimes white) north

we have now been in south dakota/wyoming/montana for almost two weeks, and i feel acquainted enough with this part of the country to make some sweeping generalizations about it.

people native to this area speak a dialect of english which is similar to, but softer than, the minnesota twang. it's very american sounding.

people here do not eat vegetables, unless you count cole slaw or the lettuce and tomato on your burger. don't come here if you are a vegetarian. on the other hand, the beef, bison, elk, other game, and potatoes are all excellent. i don't think a day has gone by since we've been here that i did not have a huge slab of meat on my plate.

most of the native beers are named after wild animals, plants, or the wild in general. for example, some of the beers i have tried were called 'moose drool,' 'trout slayer,' and 'wilderness wheat.'

everyone, and i mean everyone (or almost), hunts. if 4% of florida has a hunting license, about 75% of montana does. our host in livingston was quite happy because he had shot himself a bear this year, in addition to the elk, deer, and other game he has shot. he was one of the first in the state to get a wolf license last year.

that being said, the hunters eat their kills as well as simply enjoying it for sport. in addition, they also have a great respect for the animals they kill (or try to kill). i heard just as many random wild animal stories as i did hunting stories.

this is wild america--especially montana and wyoming. i mean grizzly bears, moose, baby coyotes, unpaved roads wild. and every picturesque snowmelt stream you can think of is here. i promise.

people in montana are much like texans, but without the money, oil, and romanticized cowboy image. these people are the real deal. cowboy boots and hats, all the men have facial hair, wear camo and plaid button-down shirts, and can tell you exactly what day the next hunting season starts. things are just as far apart, but with trees and more grass in between, although much of montana is considered high desert or is mountains.

standards of living up here are a little more like canada--people have smaller houses, fewer possessions, and cars are really just a means of transportation instead of a status symbol. (they have guns and bows for that). of course, that is because there are fewer high-paying jobs up here, unlike in canada where this is caused by taxes.

montana is mountainous. i don't know what image you have of montana, but i thought it was flat. it's not--and neither is wyoming or western south dakota. eastern south dakota, minnesota, wisconsin are all hilly, but it's downright flat compared to most of montana, although there is a flatter part between the ranges. there is a mountain range just north of livingston called the crazies. just saying.