Montana

Unlike anything this city girl has ever seen

An ancient barn, weathered grey and tilting to one side, stands abandoned in a field turned the soft gold color of summer grass. Jagged granite peaks grab at a vast blue sky that is unlike anything this city girl has ever seen. I've pulled my car to the side of the road to wonder at a landscape that quiets me in a place I didn't realize had been restless. An old man in faded flannel stops his dusty truck to check on me. The people here are as warm and generous as the winters are cold and unrelenting. The only sounds are wandering cattle and the Bitterroot River rushing along its icy bed, as I climb back into my car and make my way to a bar with no pretensions, just good strong drinks and a dozen locals happy to pass a few hours in good company.

Staci, United States - 30 March 2004