At 28 years old, I never would have imagined myself as the publisher of a magazine. Yet, it shouldn’t surprise me. I come from a family that has always encouraged me to follow my dreams, and I’ve always enjoyed writing, exploring, and being creative. I also come from a lineage of writers, from my maternal grandmother, who founded and edited her own newspaper in Montana for 25 years, to my parents, who publish Raised in the West Magazine.

I am a fifth-generation Montanan, born and raised. Growing up, my parents took me and my two siblings on all kinds of adventures. We spent nearly every weekend camping, hiking, skiing, boating, fishing – you name it. Because of that, I’ve always had an adventurous spirit and deep passion for the outdoors. That passion only grew stronger after moving to Laramie to attend the University of Wyoming.

In college, I fell in love with the state of Wyoming and my husband, Blaine. We moved to Lander almost three years ago, and together we enjoy recreating with our cat, Poots. (You’ll get to know him.) We climb in Sinks Canyon and at the Wild Iris, ski at mom-and-pop resorts, backpack in the Winds, skinny dip in cold alpine lakes, and everything in between. On the side, I dabble with acrylic landscape paintings (Acrylic Melon). 

The dream to start Adventures in the West would not have been possible without my parents. We always talked about how fun it would be to do a sister magazine together. While theirs is more about rural life in Montana and Wyoming, AITW would be about… well, adventures. Suddenly, after years of dreaming, it seemed the timing couldn’t have been more perfect.

We’re going to have a lot of fun with AITW and I hope you enjoy the ride!

Melanie Limpus