![]() I’ve lived in Vermont for just over two years now so I have a *somewhat* informed opinion about the state. Let me tell you about some of its selling points and drawbacks. Below we have a list of positives, neutrals and negatives: Positives
Neutrals
Negatives
In conclusion, I generally feel safe here but rarely engaged outside of work. I find that I have the responsibility of creating whatever culture or event I want to see here and it’s burdensome. It is work outside of work. In some other places, like New York City, a subway train ride can bring me close to like-minded people any day of the week and likely at any time of the day. In Los Angeles, we don’t even say we want “Asian” food-- we have the privilege of specifically saying “Thai” and pursuing a variety of price points for that country’s cuisine any. day. of. the. week. However, New York City’s safety record is lower than Vermont’s and Los Angeles’ traffic and parking are epic things of legend. Both of these aforementioned cities have what I’ll call “saturation points” in terms of population that can be suffocating. But I suppose this is a game of “pick your poison”: do you prefer to be under or overwhelmed? Do you want to create culture or live adjacent to it? Do you want to be anonymous or to be known? Depending on what tickles your fancy, Vermont might be your paradise.
8 Comments
Roz
4/7/2019 09:02:21 am
Your perspectives regarding Vermont are spot on and as a black woman, I find them somewhat similar to mine and those of my black friends who are recent transplants from other, more diverse locations. Another phenomenon I found to be totally Vermont is the intense love of dogs these people have. I have seen dogs grocery shopping with their owners, dog treats placed right next to the lollipops in the lobby of my bank, owners who coordinate dog play dates, and dogs who go to work with their owners - definitely a paradise for the dogs!
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Katrina
4/7/2019 11:24:33 am
Thank you for the validation, Roz. ;)
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Tracy Johnson
4/7/2019 01:11:02 pm
I really enjoyed reading this. As a Black resident of Morrisville, originally from Los Angeles, this was spot on. While I love Vermont isolation here is a definite problem. My all white coworkers are anxious to tell me how not racist they are, but they also don't have any reference point for socializing outside of their race and therefore just don't. I'm thinking very seriously of creating a social platform for Black/Latino/Asian/lgbt people in this state and organizing some social events.
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Katrina
4/7/2019 04:47:29 pm
Thank you, Tracy, for your reply. ;)
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Wendy
4/15/2019 01:32:05 am
Well written & informative :)
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Katrina
4/18/2019 10:09:30 am
Thank you, Wendy.
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Jocelyn Spencer
5/29/2019 04:05:03 am
Interesting. I'd like to visit for a week. I think enjoying nature would be the best part for me.
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Katrina Spencer
5/29/2019 05:57:03 pm
I imagine it would be a nice place to visit for a "city girl" like yourself.
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AuthorMy name is Katrina Spencer. I'm a librarian. Archives
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