I have Brother, Janome, FW and 301's. Each on has traveled with me to retreats, AZ or church. If my daughter was in the Mts and near a Janome shop I definitely would go with the Janome. Maybe they even have a used one that you could get classes for. They have more metal in them than the Brother so I expect them to last longer. Lucky you to get to sew in a beautiful area.