As I was driving home from Hamilton the other day via Old Darby Rd (due to the road construction on the highway) and enjoying the spectacular scenery of this valley, I started thinking...

I sometimes hear people complain about Darby and the Bitterroot.  I think we have all been guilty at some point in time.  I know I have complained about a few things in Darby.  The truth is that there is no perfect place.  There is no utopia.  We can try hard to create our own, but it doesn't just exist.  I have lived on both coasts and in the middle, and have vistied 36 of the 50 states, including Alaska and Hawaii.  I have traveled around Europe, Mexico, and Central America.  I can honestly say that there is no place I would rather live and call home than Darby, Montana.

I love this town and I love this valley.  There are so many great things about this area!  First of all, the people in Darby are wonderful.  The longer I live here and the more people I meet, I am constantly impressed with how friendly everyone is.  I can proudly say that I know my neighbors.  I actually know them by name and speak to them at least weekly.  Knowing my neighbors may sound like a small thing, but it is quickly becoming a thing of the past.  This friendliness and neighborliness leads to a great sense of community.  I love that I can go to the bank or post office and see friends and make plans to get together for dinner.  I love driving down the road and waving at every other car because I know the driver.

As many of you know, I am a big proponent of healthy eating.  The food that is available in this valley is outstanding.  The amount of produce that we can grow right here is great.  The fact that there is a local dairy, a good place to get good organic meat, and many places to get good organic, locally grown fruits and veggies is fantastic! 

I REALLY enjoy the ample outdoor activities that this area provides.  From cycling to skiing to hiking to fishing, it is all just right there.  I have lived in places where I had to drive hours to get to the kind of wilderness activities that we get here just outside our front doors.  I love that I can go for a run in the morning and not have to watch out for traffic or wait at stoplights.  Living 30 minutes from a great ski hill is also amazing.  Everything is so easily accessible.

The highlight of this valley, for me, is the scenery.  The beauty of this place never ceases to amaze me, regardless of the time of year.  There is an ongoing joke in my cycling group that on every ride I will inevitably say, "This is my favorite time of year."  It doesn't matter if it's April or July or October.  I even love the winters here.  The jagged mountains, the valleys, the rivers and creeks, it's just all spectacular.  The scenery here could compete easily with anything that I have seen in Alaska or Switzerland or Italy. 

Plus, how many other small towns have a gym, a brewery, and an organic food store?  That's just how cool Darby is!

I could go on and on, but I feel like I am starting to sound like an ad in a travel magazine.  Anyway, I love this place.  Darby may not be right for everyone, but I know for a fact that it is the perfect place for me!