[MCPatrick1970]

I currently live in the state of Georgia and am considering moving to northern New England. Are there any people from the South that have moved to Vermont that would like to share their experience? How successful was your move? Do you like it there? What do you miss/not miss? Long detailed answers will be appreciated!

[Sherylcatmom]

I'm a native of Miami Beach born to natives of Miami Beach, which some argue is not the south but I'll answer your question as if it counts. I've been in Northern New England since 1988 and in Vermont since 1996. I love living in Vermont. Short of something unexpected happening that I do not yet know about, I plan to be here for the long haul.

I guess what also makes this a successful move is that I plan to stay for the rest of my life. I feel at home in Vermont. I never felt as though South Florida was my home, even as a child growing up there. It was somewhere I always thought about leaving, and did so for good at age 22.

I enjoy my community, the natural surroundings, all the seasons, and the good luck of having work that supports me and is also fulfilling.

I love that Vermont has a small enough population that I can actually participate as a citizen through far more than just casting ballots on election day. I can speak with my legislators and congresspeople directly and get feedback on their work directly from them. I love that Vermont is not as class-stratified as other places I've lived and traveled.

What do I miss about South Florida? I don't miss anything enough to even consider leaving Vermont. I wish there were more unusual/ethnic restaurants here, but I can get that when I travel. And I wouldn't trade small-community life for any number of restaurants or cultural offerings. I miss my family, but we visit each other.

What do I NOT miss?

• Hot, sticky weather
• Traffic
• Crowds
• Lines
• Vast, clogged bureaucratic systems
  
• Having to travel long distances to get into the natural world
• Malls, malls, malls, malls, malls
  
• Paved, developed everything

[macmeal]

Larry, Darrel and Darrel lived in Vermont. They never revealed their origins (in fact, two of them never said a word)...but they sure seemed 'southern' to me.....

[Sherylcatmom]

. . . as food-oriented as I am! My husband and I absolutely love that we do all our grocery shopping at a locally-owned, independent grocery and the year-round weekly farmers market. We buy the vast majority of food we eat right from the farmers who grew it and from local/regional growers whose products are sold in our co-op.

Where I lived in Florida, I could get almost nothing grown locally besides some tropical fruit, and most of it was covered in pesticides and grown with chemical fertilizers.

In Vermont, we buy affordable, organic (whether certified or simply non-chemical) local produce year-round. If it grows in this region, we buy it from here. And we choose less imported foods that don't grow here.

This is a gift we enjoy and appreciate every single day that isn't available too many places.

[wildwoodflower]

from vermont here. but living in charleston right now. sigh. i'd trade it for vermont anyday.

[Lilybeans]

I live in Florida. The only place I ever felt at home was Vermont. It's still the only place that feels like home.

[BACKINVT]

I first moved to Vermont in 1995, but moved to Alabama in 2002 to be with my ill sister. I was able to move back to Vermont in 2006. There are some things that I miss about the south. I love the heat, but Vermont in the Summer is also hot. I love the fact that Vermont actually has all of the seasons. Where as the south did not. The schools in Vermont, are much better than the schools down south. If yur thinking about a move, I don't think you would regret it. Vermont is now my home. I don't plan to move.

[wildwoodflower]

i can second that! the schools in VT are MUCH MUCH better then those here in south carolina.

[ThinkingThinking]

If my husband takes this job, we will be moving from Houston, TX. Over the past 10 years I moved from Portland Oregon (my home town) to Houston, North Carolina, and Tennessee, so I guess we could be considered as transplanting from the south.

I do worry that my 10 year old will be behind educationally coming from the less-than-excellent Texas School System, but I sure as hell wont miss the heat.

[MCPatrick1970]

Originally Posted by BACKINVT

I first moved to Vermont in 1995, but moved to Alabama in 2002 to be with my ill sister. I was able to move back to Vermont in 2006. There are some things that I miss about the south. I love the heat, but Vermont in the Summer is also hot. I love the fact that Vermont actually has all of the seasons. Where as the south did not. The schools in Vermont, are much better than the schools down south. If yur thinking about a move, I don't think you would regret it. Vermont is now my home. I don't plan to move.

I've heard that before about the south not having all seasons. How would you describe it. I'd say we lacked a cold winter. It's more of a long transition between autumn and spring while others say we lack a good autumn. Would be nice to see snow here once in a while.