Years ago, I lived in western Montana, 70mi south of Missoula. It was a small town called Darby, had about 180 residents, so, quite different than billings. Missoula was where the fun was, but there was another "bigger" small town nearby that was good for a beer a and burger and some pool. IMHO, Western Montana has better scenery and bigger mountains, being in the Rocky Mountain range, as others have said, it's hot in the summer, bitter cold in the winter, truly a four seasons type of climate. I liked it there, but I was a framer at the time, and there was not alot of work to be had, I wound up learning how to build log homes, peeled the logs by hand too, I really enjoyed that too, but again, there wasn't a whole lot of work. If a guy had a stable job, or a relocation due to a job, and knew they would be able to make a solid income, year round, it's an amazing place to be. Truly amazing. Eastern Montana is more rolling hills and prairie, but still really beautiful, I suggest you get on a plane and check it out for a weekend before you make your final decision....or if you are already committed, take the trip just to get an idea of what you're in for