Cold.

I have a confession to make: I am not a native Montanan. I’ve lived in the Flathead Valley (mostly) since 1996 and I have come to think of it as my home. As a transplanted east-coaster, I have chosen to live here because there is so much that I love about this place we call Big Sky Country. I mean, really… who wouldn’t want to live here. Picturesque lakes and glacial peaks interspersed with lovely shades of evergreen. Abundant wildlife and natural resources that could warm even the grinchy-est of hearts. This just seems like an ideal destination for anyone.

Most of our residents are not from around these parts, either. Each has an epic tale on how and why they ended up in Kalispell, and while each is unique to its narrator, there are common strains that bind many together. Some incorporate tragedy with hope. Many tell of loss and redemption. Still others warn of unwise choices. In spite of the similarities and discrepancies peppered throughout their stories, there is one unifying fear that binds them together: Montana is not a hospitable place to be homeless in the winter. In fact, it can be absolutely deadly.

How surreal when the very same view experienced on either side of a window can yield vastly different results. Tucked warmly inside a home or apartment or even traveling in a car, Montana in January can be an aesthetically inspiring place to soak in everything around. Just a mere six inches away … the space of an outstretched thumb and index finger… can be the difference between life and death. Outside these windows life is not as accommodating or friendly; the blustering winds and brutal cold transforms Narnia into Paradise Lost.

Take some time to inventory your surroundings through the eyes of Kalispell’s homeless. The same wintery attributes you clamor for can be the biggest fear for the homeless.