[bluegreen.laurel]

Hello to All~

I live in the Ozarks in Arkansas. I'm looking to move to Vermont. By trade I am a licensed Massage Therapist, and I have also been a gardener. I am not wealthy, but I love mountains and ocean. Here I have mountains but no ocean. I also am attracted to the Contra dancing and the heritage of Vermont. I'm a person that likes a simple life, live and let live, and I prefer living outside a town, walking distance. Affordable, quaint, farmer's markets, walking paths, locals (as opposed to summer-house tourists), and somewhere I can get over to a beach in less than 3 hours. I'm looking at the Montpelier area. But I know nothing. Any suggestions?

Laurel

[tkln]

Perhaps NH might be more your thing, if you are really interested in mountains and ocean...Montpelier to the ocean is probably at least a good 4-5 hours...if you count Lake Champlain as 'ocean', well, then you're good.

[quickdraw]

I can make it from Montpelier to York Beach, Maine or Halibut State Park in Massachusetts in a bit less than three hours.

Might want to look around the White mountains in New Hampshire. You might find a hamlet over there, although there will be more tourists in the area.
Somewhere around the Littleton and Jackson areas. Very pretty.

[bungalowbob]

Is Eureka Springs, Arkansas still Bohemian?

[Sherylcatmom]

I love contra dancing! When I lived in S. NH, I went to contras sometimes 3x a week. I had access to some of the best dances around. The oldest (Nelson, NH), the liveliest (Peterborough, NH & Greenfield, MA), and many more. I'm sorry to say that the Rutland area lacks frequent dances with many experienced dancers. I welcome newcomers, but I do prefer dances with a critical mass of experienced dancers to keep the lines flowing.

I am a happy massage therapist in Rutland, Vermont. There is no licensing or regulation of massage in Vermont, so hang out your shingle and enjoy. NH does have licensing. Let's see, when I lived in NH, one had had to have graduated from a 750+ hour school, passed the stupid NCE, and taken a proctored practical exam (bring a volunteer and give a relaxation massage in a room full of other people being observed doing the same). NH's regs may have changed.

If you want ocean within 3 hours, Southern NH seems like a good place to be. You can get to the Maine, NH, Mass., or RI shore within 3 hours from most of S-NH. I've lived in Keene & Peterborough, NH, and recommend them both, as well as the surrounding towns in the Monadnock Region.

You mentioned Montpelier. It's a fabulous town, IMO. If you don't mind a longer drive to the ocean, it certainly seems worth checking out. There are plenty of other VT & NH towns that are worth considering, and we could recommend some if you say more about what you want from a town: size, demographics, types of bodywork opportunities you might seek, colleges, etc.

[bluegreen.laurel]

Originally Posted by Sherylcatmom

I love contra dancing! When I lived in S. NH, I went to contras sometimes 3x a week. I had access to some of the best dances around.

I am a happy massage therapist in Rutland, Vermont. There is no licensing or regulation of massage in Vermont, so hang out your shingle and enjoy. NH does have licensing.

You mentioned Montpelier. It's a fabulous town, IMO. If you don't mind a longer drive to the ocean, it certainly seems worth checking out. There are plenty of other VT & NH towns that are worth considering, and we could recommend some if you say more about what you want from a town: size, demographics, types of bodywork opportunities you might seek, colleges, etc.

Thank you, this is helpful. Yes, experienced dancers are a must; they make it worthwhile. Did you experience Dudley Laufman in NH? He's a famous caller, and a national treasure.
Yes, I heard about the lack of licensure in Vermont. With licenses in 3 states and the national certification, I'll either look like I'm putting on airs, or people will be more inclined to trust me. I'm hoping for the latter!
The maps tell me you can get from Montpelier to an Ocean in about 2 1/2 hours or so. Is that optimistic?
I live in a little quaint town nestled in the Ozarks. It's historic. It has been a refuge and haven for outlaws, artists, and entrepreneurs since it came to be in the 1800's. There are lots of interesting people here. I don't expect to replicate this town, as it's very special. But I do like progressive, artistic communities. The kind of place where anything goes unless you rain on someone's parade. The kind of place where they voted to disallow the federal government to spy on what books you take out of the library and such. Independent and odd-ball.
I have no sense of New England, and please feel free to correct me. My intuition tells me that I'm more likely to find these kinds of artistic havens in Vermont than in NH. Am I wrong about that? If I'm wrong, point me right. I would love to be a little closer to the ocean. I'd like to avoid the big NE cities as much as I can.
Does that help?

Laurel

[vter]

The NH Seacoast and extreme southern Maine seacoasts are do-able in about 3 hours from Montpelier.....more later.

[quickdraw]

Originally Posted by bluegreen.laurel

Thank you, this is helpful. Yes, experienced dancers are a must; they make it worthwhile. Did you experience Dudley Laufman in NH? He's a famous caller, and a national treasure.
Yes, I heard about the lack of licensure in Vermont. With licenses in 3 states and the national certification, I'll either look like I'm putting on airs, or people will be more inclined to trust me. I'm hoping for the latter!
The maps tell me you can get from Montpelier to an Ocean in about 2 1/2 hours or so. Is that optimistic?
I live in a little quaint town nestled in the Ozarks. It's historic. It has been a refuge and haven for outlaws, artists, and entrepreneurs since it came to be in the 1800's. There are lots of interesting people here. I don't expect to replicate this town, as it's very special. But I do like progressive, artistic communities. The kind of place where anything goes unless you rain on someone's parade. The kind of place where they voted to disallow the federal government to spy on what books you take out of the library and such. Independent and odd-ball.
I have no sense of New England, and please feel free to correct me. My intuition tells me that I'm more likely to find these kinds of artistic havens in Vermont than in NH. Am I wrong about that? If I'm wrong, point me right. I would love to be a little closer to the ocean. I'd like to avoid the big NE cities as much as I can.
Does that help?

Laurel

Well you'd be a little south of the mountains, but Northampton, Mass could fit the bill. It's just a bit south of Vermont. Basically the entire Pioneer Valley. My dad always thought it was full of lunatics, which is probably what you want.

I always think of the Mad River Valley in Vermont as a bit artsy, near Waitsfied, although I'm not sure that it is as extreme as you want.

[Sherylcatmom]

Originally Posted by bluegreen.laurel

Did you experience Dudley Laufman in NH? He's a famous caller, and a national treasure.

Yes! I had that privilege. Also the piano playing and cantankerous humor of the late great Bob McQuillan.

Originally Posted by bluegreen.laurel

Yes, I heard about the lack of licensure in Vermont. With licenses in 3 states and the national certification, I'll either look like I'm putting on airs, or people will be more inclined to trust me. I'm hoping for the latter!

LOL! Seems to make little difference. No one ever asks if we're licensed or certified. They just want to know if we can help them feel better. I finally dropped my Maine & NH licenses after renewing them repeatedly for "professional credibility." I finally realized, duh, I'm just helping fill some other state's money pit and I actually oppose regulating massage so why pray tell was I doing it? I do keep renewing my NCTMB even though I loathe the test & the organization because, well, it seems easier just to keep it just in case. But every time it gets near expiring, I consider letting it go. I came darned close to letting it lapse the last time, but then the NCBTMB said they would count my grad school transcripts toward at least 30 of the 50 required CEUs. One of these days . . . But I digress.

Originally Posted by bluegreen.laurel

I live in a little quaint town nestled in the Ozarks. It's historic. It has been a refuge and haven for outlaws, artists, and entrepreneurs since it came to be in the 1800's.

By any chance, do you live in Eureka Springs? Years ago, my husband and I discovered it on the internet and actually considered visiting with an eye toward moving there. But since even Vermont summers are too hot/humid for me, I knew I would just croak in the Ozarks. One summer would do me in. Heck, spring in the Ozarks would probably waste me. I'll take 8 months of winter over heat/humidity any day.

Originally Posted by bluegreen.laurel

I have no sense of New England, and please feel free to correct me. My intuition tells me that I'm more likely to find these kinds of artistic havens in Vermont than in NH.

While that can be an accurate generalization, I think you'll find more to interest you more about specific towns than about either state. For example, I regarded Keene & Peterborough, NH, to be easy, accepting, open places to live. By contrast, Rutland, VT, where I live now, is way more conservative. But all three towns are in live-and-let-live New England. I do think there is a tolerance throughout New England that I've heard other places lack.

Come visit. Stay a while. Get a feel for the places that draw you. Return to those places. Stay longer. See what what awakens your inner "Yes!"

[bluegreen.laurel]

Thank you all for your information. Yes, I live in Eureka Springs. Yes, it does get hot in the summer! Someone asked if it was Bohemian. There are all types of people here on the spectrum of right to left, conservative to the most liberal. We all agree to get along because we have a beautiful and unique place to live in the world... That's the kind of place I like.
Brattleboro seems like an interesting place. The Appalachian trail is nearby and the ocean only 2 hours away. And contra dancing is all around, with the Dawn Dancing there, and the regular dances in Western MA.
It has Amtrak, and the airport is Hartford. I like all this. They kind of try to scare you on the Chamber of Commerce page with that statement about the Nuke plant, about how in case of disaster Brattleboro will be unlivable for thousands of years. That's telling it like it is.
I sure appreciate you all for responding to me. Feel free to continue. I will keep checking back.

Laurel