Why Vermont?

I've been asked this question a lot lately. Friends back home wanted to know why, after two decades in Minnesota, I'd want to cram everything I own into a (surprisingly expensive) U-Haul and schlep it halfway across the country. Now that we're here, potential employers inquire too. Am I running away from something? Am I some kind of tourist who's going to duck out as soon as it gets cold?

The best answer I can give is that Vermont has mountains but not earthquakes. Earthquakes are scary. Tornadoes have sirens. We can see hurricanes coming literally hundreds of miles away. But earthquakes? You get maybe a second of warning. So the Pacific Northwest was out. (But I quite like visiting! Here's a dorky picture of me on the Space Needle to prove it!)

Seattle, WA

I've spent some time in the New England area. I rode the train to Maine my senior year of high school.

Portland, ME

I fled to Boston last summer when I needed some alone time far away. I've been to New York and Montreal and have family in DC. I like it out here. Vermont is close to everything. We're three hours from Boston, five from New York, and a little over an hour from Quebec. (Fun fact: the last un-secured border crossing between the US and Canada was recently sealed. With flower pots evenly spaced across the road. Quebec-Vermont relations seem quite friendly.)

The better question is, why not? I'm a college educated lady in my twenties. This is exactly the time to move cross country and figure some stuff out. If I can do that in the smallest state capital in the union, then so much the better.

Plus now you all have an excuse to come visit me!