It happens… for one reason or another, people who grow up in Montana move away. And if you’ve spent your entire life in the Treasure State, moving to a new place can be a bit of a shock in some ways. In fact, every former Montanan has probably had a few of these thoughts at least once.

1. “Where are all the mountains?”

Montana means mountainous in Spanish. It can be rather jarring to move to a flat state.

2. “What’s up with these speed limits?”

65? 55? Are you kidding?

3. “Why isn’t anyone waving at me on the road?”

Turns out that polite acknowledgement doesn’t happen everywhere.

4. “There really is no sunset like a Montana sunset.”

Of course every sunset is beautiful. But what could ever compare to this?

5. “Rural scenery is totally underrated.”

If you’ve ever left Montana to live in a big city, you’ll eventually start to miss scenery like this.

6. “I miss my Montana traditions.”

Maybe you went to the Sweet Pea Festival every year with your best friend, or perhaps you made a sem-annual trip to Glacier National Park. Every Montanan has traditions, and those are tough to leave behind.

7. “Ha. You call this winter?”

Obviously this depends on where your new home is—some states are subject to winters even worse than ours. But if you move to a city with a relatively mild winter, feel free to smile when people complain about 40 degree weather, a rainy day, or a light dusting of snow.

8. “Does no one hunt or fish here?”

Again, this depends on where you end up living, but in some places, hunting and fishing are not brought up in casual conversation.

9. “I’d kill for a sandwich from Pickle Barrel / burger from Burger Drive / Ugly Burger from Rod’s.”

There are some of our iconic foods you simply won’t find anywhere else. And you’ll crave them at the most inconvenient times, like when a visit home is months away.

10. “There is no summer like a Montana summer.”

This is just a scientific fact.

11. “Wait. Dairy Queen is open all year here?”

If your hometown had a seasonal DQ, you’ll be delighted to discover that you can get a Blizzard (of the ice cream variety) in the dead of winter elsewhere.

12. “I wonder what my friends are doing right now.”

You make new friends when you move away, but nothing compares to the lifelong relationships you form in Montana.

13. “I wish I would have appreciated my home more.”

You don’t know what you’ve got ‘till it’s gone…

14. “I should have spent more time exploring Montana.”

Montana is vast, and there are so many hidden gems and underrated towns. It’s best to see as much of it as possible before you leave it.

15. “I miss Montana.”

Even if you were one of the few people who couldn’t wait to escape Montana, you’ll have this thought eventually. And whether or not you end up moving home, you’ll admit that the Treasure State will always have a special place in your heart.

We live in a beautiful world, and some of us are destined to live in more than one place. Still, if you’re from Montana, it will always be your home.