[larrywriter]

We left Vermont after almost a decade in the Burlington area for greener pastures (with more job opportunities) - that was about 6 years ago. We miss it terribly! I still have closer friends there than I think I will ever have here in greater Boston. Granted, there are many more job opportunities here and if we moved back we'd be hard pressed to find jobs. And the diversity was an issue for me - every time I go back to Burlington I am stunned by how white it is. BUT people in Vermont are so much warmer and more open, lifestyle was slower and cheaper (even though I know its still expensive by many other states' standards), and we could have a single family house with a yard. Alas. I know we won't be going back, but I get very homesick.

Are there any other ex-Vermonters who are missing their old home state?

[GrnMtnFire]

I have been gone only a few months, and I don't miss it yet. Vermont has become a very different place over the last few decades. There are far to many special interest groups, that "speak" for the masses. My wife and I grew up in small towns and now live in a metro area with 1.5 million. We love having to not drive long distances to go to a mall, resturants, sporting events and concerts.
Property taxes are out of hand as well are the home prices. I can purchase a 3 bedroom 2 bath home where I am now for 1/2 to 3/4 of the prices in Vermont. And taxes would be 500-1500 depending. The same home taxes in Vermont would be 5000 to 6000+ in the 3 towns I lived in.
I'll go back to visit but doubt very much to live again.

[oldhounder]

Originally Posted by larrywriter

We left Vermont after almost a decade in the Burlington area for greener pastures (with more job opportunities) - that was about 6 years ago. We miss it terribly! I still have closer friends there than I think I will ever have here in greater Boston. Granted, there are many more job opportunities here and if we moved back we'd be hard pressed to find jobs. And the diversity was an issue for me - every time I go back to Burlington I am stunned by how white it is. BUT people in Vermont are so much warmer and more open, lifestyle was slower and cheaper (even though I know its still expensive by many other states' standards), and we could have a single family house with a yard. Alas. I know we won't be going back, but I get very homesick.

Are there any other ex-Vermonters who are missing their old home state?

I miss my native and spiritual home. Your story is similar, 40 years removed. In 1964 we moved to Boston so I could go to grad school. My wife gets back to visit her sister and brother a couple of times a year. We still have a home in MA and a winter home in FL. If we sell our MA home and become residents of FL, our summer headquarters may well turn out to be VT or nearby rural MA.

[mustmove]

Cowboy up and drive. If you are in Boston you can spend every weekend in VT if you want to.

[larrywriter]

We do spend some time in VT and when I win lotto and become independently wealthy I plan to buy a Vermont vacation home. Although I never buy a lotto ticket - can't bear to waste a dollar. So not a very good plan. Anyway, glad to hear we are not alone!

[radioclown]

I now live in Florida and can say I don't miss Vermont one teeny, tiny little bit. I don't miss the cold, the lack of open mindedness, the lack of big business, the people or anything about that horrible and miserable place. Maybe it is just me, but I can't deal with a place where the sun shines about six months out of the year.

Down here people are happier, the cost of living is far cheaper, gas is cheaper and the sun actually comes out during the month of February.

What I do miss is Magic Hat beer. Ahhhhhhhhhhh, nothing like a cold Magic Hat during one of the four days of summer.

[Summerz]

Originally Posted by radioclown

I now live in Florida and can say I don't miss Vermont one teeny, tiny little bit. I don't miss the cold, the lack of open mindedness, the lack of big business, the people or anything about that horrible and miserable place. Maybe it is just me, but I can't deal with a place where the sun shines about six months out of the year.

Down here people are happier, the cost of living is far cheaper, gas is cheaper and the sun actually comes out during the month of February.

What I do miss is Magic Hat beer. Ahhhhhhhhhhh, nothing like a cold Magic Hat during one of the four days of summer.

Hey now, sometimes we are lucky and get a full 2 weeks of summer.

[Mary77]

Originally Posted by radioclown

I now live in Florida and can say I don't miss Vermont one teeny, tiny little bit. I don't miss the cold, the lack of open mindedness, the lack of big business, the people or anything about that horrible and miserable place. Maybe it is just me, but I can't deal with a place where the sun shines about six months out of the year.

Down here people are happier, the cost of living is far cheaper, gas is cheaper and the sun actually comes out during the month of February.

What I do miss is Magic Hat beer. Ahhhhhhhhhhh, nothing like a cold Magic Hat during one of the four days of summer.

I envy you. I grew up in Northwest Florida and now we live in Vermont. I'd go back in a heart beat. I especially miss fresh fish from the Gulf and body surfing the waves at the beach. Vermont is beautifull and safe, but it's boring as hell. Did you know that Jacksonville was ranked 6th as one of the top ten unhappiest cities? Here is the link:America’s Unhappiest Cities: Jacksonville, Fla. - BusinessWeek

[NJ Bear]

Just a thought... have you considered taking up fishing, taking advantage of lake Champlain, or going tubing/kayaking/canoeing on some of VT's rivers? Usually it seems people from more urban areas find rural places "boring" simply because they have to come up with ways to have fun instead of having the fun commercially available on every block (i.e., restaurants, clubs, amusement parks, beaches, etc.). Just sayin.

As for the lack of open mindedness comment above... don't knwo what to say, are you saying the problem with VT is that it is now a land of two extremes of consertivism and liberalism with no in between? Usually I tend to associate a desire for "open-mindedness" with liberalism, which VT obviously has no shortage of today, so I'm a little confused by that comment.

[Vermonr]

I agree with NJ Bear. I think a lot of people come to Vermont thinking the state is going to be something straight out of a postcard. The truth is, Vermont is a rugged place, and those beautiful, rural view that attract people to Vermont in the first place are ultimately the result of not having all the amusement venues and such that other places have. The reality of Vermont is that it is cold, harsh, dark, and expensive. But as a native Vermonter, I know that these things are a small price to pay for the peace and happiness Vermont can bring you if you let it. Vermont is not about "big business" or "open mindedness" or all that. Vermont is just about laying back, seeing the world for what it should be, and appreciating the here and now, and that's why I miss it too.