16 days until I leave for Montana. Wow! It seems strange that it's finally here. Afterall, I got hired in... November? December? Somewhere around there. It always just seemed like a really cool, far off idea, and now it's nearly here!

I was actually getting really nervous thinking about it the other day. Yes, I've been at college for two years now (wow, that's scary in itself!), but my parents live less than 45 minutes away. I'd say they come up for dinner or I go down there at least once every other week, if not more. And the option of going home is at least always there if nothing else. Montana will be completely different though. Not only will I not be able to go home, but I'll have little contact. No internet access, no cell phone coverage, no tv, no newspapers, etc. It's exciting to me that I'll be so cut off from the world for 3 1/2 months, but scary at the same time. Very different.

I will get to see my family once during my time there though. For a week in fact. My parents, two of my dad's brothers and their families are all going for a week in late June to stay on vacation. 11 of them in all. Right now it seems kind of lame, but I'll have been there for 6 or 7 weeks at that point, and I'm sure it will be nice to have them around. It will be kind of strange though. I'll still be working, and working to make their stay there as nice as possible! I think it will take me a couple of days to find that balance between family member and employee.

I'm also nervous about meeting the other employees. I really hope I get along well with everyone. It's not like most jobs, where if you don't like a coworker you get to go to your separate home at the end of the day. I'll be around these people all of the time, and even be sleeping the same room as several of them. I'm excited too though. I think in general I get along well with most people. And who knows, I may end up forming some really good friendships with some of them.

One last thing. For awhile now I've been noticing how much people around me (okay, and I'm guilty of it too) complain about things. It's just so easy to fall into the habit of complaining. I was thinking about it, and really, what does that solve? Complaining solves nothing, and it usually puts me in a more sour mood on top of it. So, for the next couple of weeks, I'm really going to make an effort to stop complaining, (or at least do it less! ). Should be interesting, especially with finals right around the corner.

But, as a good measure of my word, I will resist talking about my family dinner tonight. There's no way I could get through THAT without complaining.

Okay, back to homework, which I shall NOT complain about.

**EDIT** here's some photos too from when I vacationed at the ranch a couple of years ago.