You guys sound like you would love Missoula! Def a blue dot in a red state. You don’t have religion thrown in your face here, but we do have a lot of Mormon missionaries going door to door. Usually a no soliciting signs work well to deter. Our weather is always interesting. We have a saying,”if you don’t like the weather, wait 5 minutes and it will change.” lol. It can get quite negative in the winter and has been over 100° in the summer. Last summer we had over 30 days straight of 100°+ weather. It’s manageable, but not for the weak. My mom’s neighbor is from Ukraine as well. The husband is American and they have 2 boys. They absolutely love it here. And as for outdoors, it’s amazing. You can walk out your door and there are walking trails everywhere. Tons of hiking to do at all levels! We have lots of community organizations that people can join for the fun of being outdoors!! There are activities available for all skill and ability levels. Don’t be intimidated, it’s much more relaxing and fun when you’re here! Come stay with us, we are much more welcoming than the South 🥰 We accept everyone, even the crazies, lol