Tag: Spring

May 18, 2016 – Hungry Horse, Montana

Places I never thought I’d spend a month or more living in: -a pristine guest cabin (Crosslake, Minnesota) -a camper/trailer (Finland, Minnesota) -employee housing at a resort (Lutsen, Minnesota) -a tool shed (Hungry Horse, Montana) But here I …

May 1, 2016 – Hungry Horse, Montana

The landscape of this state is nothing short of magnificent. I’m on my way to host number six. Heading west out of Helena, I-90 takes me through Missoula (with a pit stop in the ghost town of Garnet). …

April 30, 2016 – Helena, Montana

Time’s up. Though my hosts have offered me an extended stay, it’s time to move on to the next place. The next family. The next adventure. We’re watching “Beasts Of No Nation,” a movie about a young boy …

April 24, 2016 – Helena, Montana

If I didn’t know I was in Montana, this place would make it apparent. I mean… the door handles are actual deer antlers. The ten commandments are displayed on a stretched out animal hide. I take a seat …

April 12, 2016 – Helena, Montana

One month isn’t long enough. Or maybe it’s too long. As we sit around the living room, I realize that I could see myself getting attached to this family very easily. My hosts’ son is a man that …

April 3, 2016 – Helena, Montana

Has it been a year and a half…? My father would be ashamed. I’m thinking about anything other than the lyrics on the projector screen. Anything to shield my ears. Nice church, though. New. Welcoming. My new hosts …

March 18, 2016 – Lutsen, Minnesota

What else can I get rid of? It’s my last day at the resort, and I’m minimizing my belongings as I load up my car. A welcome and necessary pre-relocating tradition. I add a shirt to the “Goodwill” …

May 31, 2015 – St. Paul, Minnesota

Has it been five months already? Tonight is my last with my first hosts, and the feeling is bittersweet. I’m afraid Mari and Syr have set the bar a bit too high. They’ve shown me the undeniable strength …

May 18, 2015 – St. Paul, Minnesota

“I wish you’d park in front of your own %&$#ing house…” …the neighbor across the street says to me earlier in the year. We have to park on the street due to limited alley space, and it never …