Road trip: Montana

Although we are back in the States we have definitely not abandoned our nomadic tendencies. My husband’s career takes him all over. This was once a trial, a big one in fact. Today however we are at a place in life with half our children grown where we can venture out together and still have adults holding down the fort at home. This year we are doing just that with the children still home. #worldschoolers!

The first trip for 2016 was to Montana where my husband was attending a course on tribal relations being held by the University of Montana and local Native American representatives. My original plan had been to venture out to the mountains a bit and shoot some landscape on this trip. Landscape isn't really my passion though. I always gravitate back to people and their stories. Then the steady light rain that greeted us caused an about turn in my plans which worked out just fine.

That first day we found some thrift shops and then a secondhand bookstore we spent a morning digging through. We walked across the lock bridge when the drizzle let up, thinking of all the hope those engraved initials represent. We watched a man fly fishing in the river down below. We toured the campus which the president had proudly told us was ranked the eighth most beautiful in the US.

And the pool. It isn't a road trip without reading by the pool while the kids splash. Fun for them. Fun for me.

I was able to join my husband for the small class dinner with the university president, who coincidentally went to graduate school less than an hour from our own hometown. The keynote speaker from the Salish tribe shared her perspective as both a member of the community and a former Washington DC program head. Another gentleman at the table was married to a Montessori teacher connected to a pilot program in China. So only iphone snaps day one. And lots of people and lots of stories.

The rain did let up up after this first day and the big camera did come out before we were through. I will share some more tomorrow.