I don’t know how it’s February already but here we are, and I haven’t done a chilly dip in the lake… yet.
I’ve been meaning to send this many times over the last month and half, so here’s a collection of vignettes from many different newsletters that would have been sent in another time that doesn’t exist.
Vermont: a place where after the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, the dance floor clears out by 12:05 a.m. and the DJ is packing in at a quarter after. Even Burlington is an early bird town.
I went on a couple hikes during the warm snap a few weeks back. At one point, I went slightly off the trail to take a picture of a cool mushroom for a friend who’d appreciate it— admit it, that’s a good looking fungi*. Anyway, the leaves were wet and I was trying to walk down a small sloop but it wasn’t looking good for my sense of balance.
A nice stranger walking by offered her elbow and I made it down a-okay. I mentioned I just moved here and she was like, oh, are you from New Jersey? No, Pennsylvania, I said, and she was like, “Oh good, people from New Jersey have a problem with spraying pesticides!” Her companion was carrying a covered machete and said this mushroom would taste like wood.
So yeah, I’d say most of the people I’ve met are passionate, kind, and a little weird.
*Please note this was before the premier of The Last of Us.
Something I’ve encountered several times is that places will close early without really any warning. Maybe it’s been a slow night. Maybe they ran out of bread. Maybe whatever. Not quite used to this quirk yet.
I recently met someone who also had recently relocated to Vermont. They work as a traveling nurse, so this is one of many places that they’ll be living this year, scheduled to stay here for the next couple months. I told them I was new here too, but not a temporary basis.
“So you’re here for forever now?” they asked,
“I guess so?” I said, though I really wanted to say “Forever-ever?”
I’m here for now, and that’s the most I can give you, Vermont.
Thanks for taking the time out of your day to read about my nonsense. It’s really cold right now in Vermont, so let’s blame any typos on the Big Chill. You can buy me a cup of coffee here or here, at your own choice. I might get an iced coffee at Dunkies even if it’s single digits outside. I’m only human. Take care and stay cozy. xo