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The first thing I ended up finding when stumbling upon this forum was that surprisingly there are a LOT of Floridians who end up traveling north into the snow! I thought I was a rarity!
My name's Laura and I'm a 21 year old who is moving with my parents to Vermont. My mother's a dentist and she found a great job opportunity in Richford. I'm excited to be leaving my home state and experiencing a white Christmas, but also somewhat concerned about a couple of things.
1) I have no idea what my wardrobe should be like. I've done a lot of research and still feel pretty clueless. Just how cold is cold? I've looked into very expensive parkas from Canada Goose... is that overkill? Will I need long johns/thermal underwear? Should I just toss out my warm weather underwear? My closet has a lot of graphic tees with nerd/geek references on them. Can I just layer those plain cotton tees and stay warm? Can I put them on top of sweaters so people can see the design or will they always be hidden under a thick coat? And will I have red paint thrown on me if I get something with fur in it? I'm also a girl so what is fashionable? SO MANY QUESTIONS.
2) Richford is.... small, to say the least. And the reason I am living with my parents is that I am a pretty sickly person. I have lupus. Will the cold effect my joints? Right now I'm not experiencing any pain (I only do when I flare.) Is it a myth that people get ill more often in cold weather or sad, sad fact? Also, I'm a homebody. What advice would you guys have to avoid "cabin fever?"
3) I have a beautiful border collie. Will a bear or worse, a moose, attack my baby?
4) Seriously, moose are huge and scary. Right?
5) I drive. What precautions do I need to take when driving in the cold and snow?
6) Any local/semi-local nearby-ish art communities? I'm an artist.
7) Just... any other tips or advice for a warm weather Flatlander like myself?
1) Don't buy clothes until you come up here. You want to know how cold it gets? When my dog pees, it freezes before it hits the ground. It can get pretty bleeping cold. You'll probably want to invest in thermal underwear, but again, wait til you get here to find something decent.
2) I don't know about the cold but it is my understanding that sunlight exacerbates SLE. Sunlight is not a huge problem up here.
3) Bears, moose, porcupines, skunks etc generally don't want any trouble and will slink away if they can. If a dog decide to take chase, which I would not put past a border collie, then the larger animal might retaliate. With small dogs, brids of prey are a problem so I am told.
While we are on this subject, I am planning my move to the south and I am worried about my water loving Golden Retriever trying to befriend an alligator. Got any thoughts on that?
4) Oh they are huge. My goodness. I heard a crashing and thrashing in my woods one day (in NH) and then a moose came out onot my lawn. I never saw my cat run so fast.
5) I'll defer to other threads / posters.
6) Can't answer that one. Not artsy myself.
7) Yes. Don't make the mistake of staying indoors. Since you have a dog you will most likely be out each and every day for that reason. You can get used to it. Also get a humidifier for your home. Heating cold winter air to comfortable temperatures results in an unusually low relative humidity. Not only will adding moisture make it feel warmer, your mucus membranes will not dry out and you will be less likely to get sick.
The first thing I ended up finding when stumbling upon this forum was that surprisingly there are a LOT of Floridians who end up traveling north into the snow! I thought I was a rarity!
My name's Laura and I'm a 21 year old who is moving with my parents to Vermont. My mother's a dentist and she found a great job opportunity in Richford. I'm excited to be leaving my home state and experiencing a white Christmas, but also somewhat concerned about a couple of things.
1) I have no idea what my wardrobe should be like. I've done a lot of research and still feel pretty clueless. Just how cold is cold? I've looked into very expensive parkas from Canada Goose... is that overkill? Will I need long johns/thermal underwear? Should I just toss out my warm weather underwear? My closet has a lot of graphic tees with nerd/geek references on them. Can I just layer those plain cotton tees and stay warm? Can I put them on top of sweaters so people can see the design or will they always be hidden under a thick coat? And will I have red paint thrown on me if I get something with fur in it? I'm also a girl so what is fashionable? SO MANY QUESTIONS.
2) Richford is.... small, to say the least. And the reason I am living with my parents is that I am a pretty sickly person. I have lupus. Will the cold effect my joints? Right now I'm not experiencing any pain (I only do when I flare.) Is it a myth that people get ill more often in cold weather or sad, sad fact? Also, I'm a homebody. What advice would you guys have to avoid "cabin fever?"
3) I have a beautiful border collie. Will a bear or worse, a moose, attack my baby?
4) Seriously, moose are huge and scary. Right?
5) I drive. What precautions do I need to take when driving in the cold and snow?
6) Any local/semi-local nearby-ish art communities? I'm an artist.
7) Just... any other tips or advice for a warm weather Flatlander like myself?
I don't live in Vermont but I am about three hours northwest of there in Quebec. So similar climate.
- Don't throw away any of your summer wear. At all. Summers are pretty nice in this part of the world and you will need it and be glad you kept it. Living this type of climate you basically need two complete wardrobes: a cold-weather one plus a Florida-like one for the summer.
- When indoors in the winter everything is heated to 70F or more, so you take all your outdoor stuff off. So the nice stuff you wear under your jacket will get seen, don't worry. And as for outdoor stuff, there is such a thing as winter chic believe it or not. You will see it in Vermont on some people and to get a real feel for it head across the border to Montreal or Quebec City.
- Moose? They are huge it is true. But they almost never attack humans. The only real danger is hitting one with your car. Locals will tell you when the most dangerous times are. It's possible that will see them only very very rarely.
- As for driving, the first time it snows enough to cover the roads, go to an empty parking lot to practise a bit and get a feel for how the vehicle handles on the snow: stopping, turning, etc. Let the vehicle slide out of control and try and see how you can regain control. You have three tire options: summer (like what you use in Florida, but suicidal here in winter), four seasons (the minimum acceptable) and snow tires that you put on just for the winter season.
1) Don't buy clothes until you come up here. You want to know how cold it gets? When my dog pees, it freezes before it hits the ground. It can get pretty bleeping cold. You'll probably want to invest in thermal underwear, but again, wait til you get here to find something decent.
.
Good suggestion. Winter clothes are much more expensive in warm weather areas where they only really sell to the really affluent who fly away to ski vacations. In a place like Vermont it's mainstream stuff - so don't buy anything of this sort before leaving.
When my dog pees, it freezes before it hits the ground. It can get pretty bleeping cold.
Oh. My. GODDDDD. I am laughing so hard but also terrified. :P
Quote:
While we are on this subject, I am planning my move to the south and I am worried about my water loving Golden Retriever trying to befriend an alligator. Got any thoughts on that?
The big thing is where you take your dog to retrieve or swim. My gramma lives along a river that runs into a lake in the middle of nowhere, and alligators are rampant. The thing about gators is they fear humans and will quickly swim away if you are in a boat or in a group, but they are also opportunists, and a dog is seen as an opportunity, especially a small yappy one that attracts attention. Your retriever may be jumping and splashing a lot and attract attention that way.
My advice would be to take him swimming at a dog friendly public place such as a beach or clear water spring. There's safety in numbers, and if you choose the clear water route they often have nets to serve as baricades to keep the alligators out. (Or at least they did at Crystal Springs) Mainly, just don't hop in the first swamp you see, because chances are... there's a gator in it.
Thanks for all the advice guys! I guess as far as clothes I'm pretty antsy. We'll be moving in about a month or so but I want to have a proper wardrobe. Guess that'll have to wait a bit.
Richford is very rural and isolated. It also one of the poorest towns in the state. If you are used to having things like multitple restaurants/shops (esp big box chains) nearby you are going to be in for some culture shock! The nearest Walmart for example is in St. Albans (1/2 hour or so) with more shopping options in the Burlington area (at least an hours drive one way).
Richford also is right on the Canadian border so I would suggest getting yourself an enhanced drivers license when you get yours (or a passport or passport card) so you can explore our neighbor to the north. Montreal is an awesome city not far away.
I didn't grow up in VT, but I did grow up in upstate NY (which is similarly cold). With regard to driving, it's important to know whether your car has anti-lock brakes or not. If it does, and you slide on ice, brake hard and the car will take care of the skidding for you. If you don't have anti-lock brakes, it's very important that you DON'T slam on the brakes if you hit a patch of ice. If you don't have anti-lock brakes, you need to pump your brakes when you slide, otherwise your car will spin.
Also, coming from a sunny climate, you might find that the gray winters can be kind of hard on you. I find it best to get outside even if you don't like the cold weather--especially in the early morning. It helps set your circadian rhythms for the day and might make the transition a little easier on you. Also, getting out at mid-day when the sun is strongest can help you make the most of what little sun you might get in January and February.
I don't live in Vermont but I am about three hours northwest of there in Quebec. So similar climate.
- Don't throw away any of your summer wear. At all. Summers are pretty nice in this part of the world and you will need it and be glad you kept it. Living this type of climate you basically need two complete wardrobes: a cold-weather one plus a Florida-like one for the summer.
- When indoors in the winter everything is heated to 70F or more, so you take all your outdoor stuff off. So the nice stuff you wear under your jacket will get seen, don't worry. And as for outdoor stuff, there is such a thing as winter chic believe it or not. You will see it in Vermont on some people and to get a real feel for it head across the border to Montreal or Quebec City.
- Moose? They are huge it is true. But they almost never attack humans. The only real danger is hitting one with your car. Locals will tell you when the most dangerous times are. It's possible that will see them only very very rarely.
- As for driving, the first time it snows enough to cover the roads, go to an empty parking lot to practise a bit and get a feel for how the vehicle handles on the snow: stopping, turning, etc. Let the vehicle slide out of control and try and see how you can regain control. You have three tire options: summer (like what you use in Florida, but suicidal here in winter), four seasons (the minimum acceptable) and snow tires that you put on just for the winter season.
We actually think it's a treat to see bears and moose. It hardly ever happens where I live, but up in richford, who knows?
I think you're getting some good advice here. Richford is pretty close to Jay Peak, which is not only a ski area but also has an indoor water park, so you might enjoy that. (I'm guessing you haven't done a lot of skiing.)
The one quibble I would have is that what people farther south call allseason tires we call summer tires. In the winter you need snow tires, and on all four wheels. You don't necessarily need AWD, but you do need the snows.
Up in Richford you're only about an hour or so away from Burlington, which is our biggest city (around 40,000) and houses the University of Vermont, so that will probably be your best bet for artsy types.
6) Any local/semi-local nearby-ish art communities? I'm an artist.
7) Just... any other tips or advice for a warm weather Flatlander like myself?
I moved to Vermont to be an artist, full time, for myself this time.
Didn't work. Obviously there are a fair amount of artists in Vermont, where you are going there will be NO-NO- cultural activity. Be prepared to find out the preconception of Vermont being a state full of artists and liberal, free-thinking hippies to be waaaay off. You've been warned !
Also, the biggest adjustment problem I had was not the cold, but the dark . . . Dark about 14 months out of the year.
Ive lived in Florida too. I would take VT over FL any day. Its an adjustment, one that some people cant make, but for me, and if you can, VT offers a quality of life you cant get anywhere in FL.
Good luck
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Obviously there are a fair amount of artists in Vermont, where you are going there will be NO-NO- cultural activity. Be prepared to find out the preconception of Vermont being a state full of artists and liberal, free-thinking hippies to be waaaay off. You've been warned !
