On the last day of 2019, I sat at a café barstool in the back of an herb shop in a hippie town I didn’t recognize, eating a huckleberry scone. I wasn’t sure what a huckleberry was, but they’re a big deal around here. The barista leaned over the counter next to me, chatting to their friend about their New Year’s Eve plans. I didn’t have any. Hours later, on the last evening of 2019, I sat in an empty apartment eating boxed vegan mac and cheese, then went to bed at 10. This was my second day in Montana…

There are many ways to know a place, and when your place is 147,000 square miles, there’s at least a million ways. There’s humility in discovering new crevices in a place constantly. The space now feels supportive in its own, hands-off way, and trusting of its inhabitants to keep it safe. Bison, mule deer, ponderosa pine, and sage all know what feeds this land, and what doesn’t.

Read more about Emily’s quest to make a home in Montana.