Well, we got this assignment to write about our favorite place. You would probably think that everyone would write about his or her hometown. The exception proves the rule, and I’m going to write about little, almost forgotten town Big Timber, where I had a chance to stay almost whole year. I didn’t know a lot about United States until I visited this country. I got an opportunity to spend one school year as a foreign student in Montana, one from 50 states of America. I stayed in small town called Big Timber (also known as Lil’ Twigs or Big Town) for 10 beautiful months. Big Timer had become my number one place in the World I had ever visited.
Montana is fascinating country. It has numbers of beautiful lakes, colorful mountains and national parks, smooth clean rivers, great plains, varieties of wildlife and so on. I lived in Sweet Grass County and I was charmed its nature. I can mention Crazy Mountains, located just north from Yellowstone National Park, which are famous for their great campgrounds, fishing, hiking, skiing, sightseeing and hunting. The town where I stayed is a bit different than Bratislava or my hometown, Svätý Jur. Big Timber with its population around 1,7050 habitants sits in the valley formed by the confluence of the Boulder River and the Yellowstone River. That allows for the many types of professions and also provides tourists with a variety of activities. People in this little town are very friendly, and that’s probably one of the reasons why I love Big Timber so much. I was warmly welcomed in every household I had visited. Everyone smiles at you when you pass by. They love to stop by and say hello, or just wave at you and continue on their way. I was surprised when I was shopping at a local store, and some strangers came to me, just to say hi. Big Timber is small town, and it is almost impossible for you to drive around without seeing someone you know. There is always something going on. These people try to fulfill their lives with happiness as much as we do. They have their own problems but also they have enough patience to listen to the others. They are people everyone wishes to be around. Always laughing, smiling, very cheerful and nice. I would be lying if I say that in Big Timber live only nice people, but most of them are very nice, so just forget about the others. If I have a chance to decide whether I want to live in my ‘old’ hometown or Big Timber, I would pick Big Timber, Montana.
It is true that if you don’t have a car in Montana, it is almost impossible for you to travel around because of great distances between towns, but they don’t mind them. And that’s what I appreciate. These people don’t have a need to shop in a large superstores many times a week as we do. My favorite place in a whole World is this little town called Big Timber, in a surrounding of beautiful nature. People aren’t stressed as much as we are over here in big cities. I love this part of America. I was lucky that I was picked by 'xxx' family, and that I was accepted into their community. And now, I bet you read enough about how I love Montana and why I had marked Big Timber as my favorite place.
Although there is one little problem I couldn’t understand, and I would like to solve it, to help this community and other people. First of all, I don’t like hunting for wild animals. Especially Montana’s residents are known for their passion in hunting. I don’t like to see a gun in a little kid’s hand. I bet they know a lot about how to behave with a gun, but I think that this is not a right kind of present for 10th birthday. Those kids and their parents are allowed (if they own a license) to hunt for deer, elk, wild goat and even bear when a hunting season has begun. I think it’s sad that many kids from other parts of the World have never seen a bear or elk, and others are enjoying killing them for money from their meat or fur. If I were a governor of Montana I would permit hunting only to residents who are 21 years old or older. If there is a large population of elks or deer, why don’t they just set them free in other parts of the World?
Well, we have to understand that hunting for wild animals makes big part of their gains and that’s what they do for their living. I will never have enough power to stop hunting in this country, so I just have to let it be as it is. I can’t think of any other problems because I don’t want to even think about changing this beautiful country. I love Montana and my favorite place, called Big Timber.
