For the most part, no social interaction is a simple one. Expect to get into
long, friendly conversations, at the post office, supermarket, etc. People will
ask your name and they will remember it. You will probably make many friends,
very quickly. Expect to spend a good deal of time with groups of people. Your new friends will be willing to help you
with anything you need done. People go out of their way for each other. It's almost
Utopian.
What about romance? My single friends
tell me that if you're a guy, you don't lose your girlfriend, you lose your
turn. Local writer Beth Jahnigan once
noted that for girls, "the odds are good but the goods are odd." Guys
will probably not find their perfect Betty Crocker wife out here and it's
unlikely that girls will find a wealthy corporate lawyer, but as the stress of
city life begins to dissolve, you will find yourself becoming more attractive
than you've been in your entire life. People will notice this.
Since we're talking about dating,
what can you do at night?
In the off-season, there are many free concerts and art shows throughout the
towns. The free entertainment, combined with the expanded group of friends can
help you appreciate a simpler, less expensive lifestyle. You need to look at
the living experience as a year round event. While you probably will get in a
many ski days, you can't ski all year round. Most people participate in other
sports, such as biking, hiking, canoeing and kayaking. The mountains in the
summer are breathtaking. A common saying out here is "I came for the
winters but stayed for the summers."
Are you still enticed? You are? Then please remember that the mountain is
not the city. It has its own quirks and inconveniences. Mail comes to the post
office, not to your door. There are no all-night delis, so if you get hungry at
11:00PM, you have to deal with it. If you've fallen in love with mountain life,
treat the area as you would a lover. Respect and accept it as it is, and don't
try to change it into something it's not.