jayedger

I'm 36 and applying for PhDs. Finished my Masters at 34, did a complete career change at about 30. I have some terrific friends that are 8 to 10 years younger than me that I met during grad school.

Hi Decaf, You won't have any problems breathing in the mountains. I moved here from the flat midwest of the United States and didn't notice much difference. I've lived in Missoula on and off for almost decade and just love it here. The weather, in general, in Missoula is very mild. The summers are terrific and it doesn't get very hot. Of course, that depends on what you think of as hot. There can be stretches, particularly, in August when there will be 90+ (Fahrenheit) degree days for weeks at a time. There will be no clouds and no rain for most of that time. It doesn't feel overly hot though because there's almost no humidity. The nights cool down though and are amazingly comfortable to the point you might need a jacket or sweater. The winters aren't particularly cold either. Rarely does it get much below 20 degrees, but there can be random cold stretches. In the city it doesn't snow a lot, but Missoula does a horrible job of removing the snow. They clear the main streets eventually, but never plow the side streets. If you drive, a car with 4 wheel drive is advisable. The bus system isn't bad though and it's free now. In reality Missoula is a very small town, so getting anywhere even by foot isn't that bad and there is a very strong culture of biking. Anyhow, I hope that helps a little.