How to Make Montanans Forget the Fact That You’re From California
So, you're from California and you moved to Montana to escape big city life? That's fair, though people blame Californians for a lot of the changes currently happening in Bozeman and around the state of Montana.
I grew up in Idaho and moved to Montana for work. Growing up in Idaho, many people had the same sentiment towards Californians. I remember bumper stickers on vehicles that read "Boisangeles, Idafornia", and "Don't Californicate Idaho." I apologize if the latter is a bit suggestive. I think it's funny that a lot of people are now referring to Bozeman as "Bozeangeles."
As someone who moved to Montana from a different state, I may be considered part of the problem, but you never hear people complaining about Idahoans moving here.
Montana is very similar to Idaho in the sense that there's an overall negative attitude towards most outsiders, but particularly people from California. Both states are mostly conservative, whereas California is known for its liberal policies.
I know a lot of people from California and know that not all of them deserve the bad reputation they've been given. Though I understand the frustration with out-of-staters, I want to take a more helpful approach and offer some friendly advice to people that have recently moved here from California. If you want to fit in, here are a few things that you'll need to do.