Considering a move to Maine from Montana

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by onenewman

Maine has two different parts, above Bangor and below Bangor. Above Bangor is uhmmm... less advanced.
I know Montana, and Maine is very different, not at first, not at first sight, but Maine has black flies (look that up), and other insects, Maine is technically the beginning of Appalachia; a lot of residents are related. You will always be an outsider.
All the above apply mostly to rural living. If you stay in urban environment (and below Bangor) it could feel like Bozeman.

On this forum posters used to call that the 'Volvo line'.

[OutdoorLover]

Originally Posted by onenewman

Maine has two different parts, above Bangor and below Bangor. Above Bangor is uhmmm... less advanced.
I know Montana, and Maine is very different, not at first, not at first sight, but Maine has black flies (look that up), and other insects, Maine is technically the beginning of Appalachia; a lot of residents are related. You will always be an outsider.
All the above apply mostly to rural living. If you stay in urban environment (and below Bangor) it could feel like Bozeman.

I have heard that upstate NH is/was like that - a good friend at school grew up in Rumney, NH - kind of a 1-horse town on the southwestern edge of the White Mtns, and I recall him saying that his parents had moved there 30 years prior and yet they were still "the new guys" in town and regarded as outsiders. It's hard for me to wrap my head around this - working in R&D, over half my colleagues are from different countries, and obviously you need to deal well with that or you'll be dismissed soon enough. I guess that in some of these rural small towns, it's just very insular and anyone who hasn't lived there forever is viewed as different and regarded with suspicion. Personally, I honestly couldn't care less where on earth someone is from... I try to start off following "the golden rule" in how I treat them, and then let each person show me who they are over time without worrying about what soil they were born on.

[SkyLark2019]

Originally Posted by onenewman

Maine has two different parts, above Bangor and below Bangor. Above Bangor is uhmmm... less advanced.
I know Montana, and Maine is very different, not at first, not at first sight, but Maine has black flies (look that up), and other insects, Maine is technically the beginning of Appalachia; a lot of residents are related. You will always be an outsider.
All the above apply mostly to rural living. If you stay in urban environment (and below Bangor) it could feel like Bozeman.

Glad you mentioned the "outsider" thing.

I deal with that where I live- on the outside of it, it's ludicrous to an urban person. However the locals are weird and like their insular lives.

If you can deal with the isolation you can be happy.

[OneDawg]

Originally Posted by OutdoorLover

It looks like Great Falls is east of the Rockies, in what's basically the western edge of the Great Plains. Most of Maine is heavily forested, which helps to knock down the wind.;

I take it you've never been here - Montana isn't as flat as you think it is. Great Falls is still pretty high elevation wise (3333ft) The city is equal to most of Maine latitude wise, but even at Ft Kent, you are south of where I lived there. We were on the border at 48.45N, Ft. Kent, ME is a full degree south - that's sixty miles. almost same at Great Falls

[onenewman]

Originally Posted by OutdoorLover

I have heard that upstate NH is/was like that - a good friend at school grew up in Rumney, NH - kind of a 1-horse town on the southwestern edge of the White Mtns, and I recall him saying that his parents had moved there 30 years prior and yet they were still "the new guys" in town and regarded as outsiders. It's hard for me to wrap my head around this - working in R&D, over half my colleagues are from different countries, and obviously you need to deal well with that or you'll be dismissed soon enough. I guess that in some of these rural small towns, it's just very insular and anyone who hasn't lived there forever is viewed as different and regarded with suspicion. Personally, I honestly couldn't care less where on earth someone is from... I try to start off following "the golden rule" in how I treat them, and then let each person show me who they are over time without worrying about what soil they were born on.

If you are in RD then you are in an urban environment. The rural areas in the North East are very different. It's the Appalachia. When we lived in large cities that issue doesn't even come up, but in the sticks, they all know each other, they go to school together, they marry one another, and when you go to a store you have no idea that they are all related and they can all see immediately that you are a newcomer. I think it's a little better in the West, even in the boondocks.

[onenewman]

Originally Posted by SkyLark2019

Glad you mentioned the "outsider" thing.

I deal with that where I live- on the outside of it, it's ludicrous to an urban person. However the locals are weird and like their insular lives.

If you can deal with the isolation you can be happy.

You're right. You need to be happy with isolation. I personally felt crowded when we lived in large cities, so I am quite happy being left alone, but if you need friends, coffee shops, etc. then forget it. And the locals are not so insulated, they do hang out with each other, with their cousins and extended families.

[SkyLark2019]

Originally Posted by OneDawg

I take it you've never been here - Montana isn't as flat as you think it is. Great Falls is still pretty high elevation wise (3333ft) The city is equal to most of Maine latitude wise, but even at Ft Kent, you are south of where I lived there. We were on the border at 48.45N, Ft. Kent, ME is a full degree south - that's sixty miles. almost same at Great Falls

Eastern Montana is flat to hilly.

If you go through the whole state, the mountains in the west are a huge contrast to the flatter more rugged looking East side. It's not hideous, but it's a change.

Havre is a very pretty place and it's on the East side of Montana. Alas the insane housing prices are a thing there too. The cost of living issue in MT is more hideous than can be described.