[Tom Pilla]

Hi

I am a 25-year old male looking to move to Vermont in order to simplify my life for a while (I know, what a cliche). I went to Dartmouth and am from just south of Boston, so I am sort of familiar with (and love) the general area, but I don't know any towns intimately. I worked on Wall St. and for a fancy branding company in Colorado for 3 years, but got fed up and decided to stop following everyone else's lead and just do what I think I ought to do. And it lead me back east and to Vermont.

What I am looking for is a simple job (coffee shop or something, physical labor is not a problem either so a farmstay type deal would work too), a cheap room nearby that job (probably won't have a car) or at least near something like the Brattleboro Bee Bus, and a place that has at least some semblance of an artsy/engaged community, even if it is tiny (I guess one watering hole where folks gather would be nice, but solitude is really not a problem).

I will be spending much of my time doing things that cost no money (like reading, writing, tinkering, talking, trying to make some friends, music-ing, and enjoying nature) and I have a fairly low-cost lifestyle.

Montpelier seems like an ideal place for what I want, as it has some cheap room shares available, a good service industry, good folks, and I am interested in politics and art and will likely begin to move into those arenas at some point. Who knows if I'll be able to get a job there though. Burlington seems like it might be too big and college-townish, but I may be wrong. Same for Brattleboro (minus college).

Anyway, I'm going to drive up (in a borrowed car) and just explore some towns, but I also wanted to try and get some advice from folks who know. Where would you look if you were me? Any particular towns that jump out in your mind? Any ideas that might accomplish my goals that I haven't thought of?

Thanks a million!

[ligirl322]

First of all congrats on your quarter life crisis!
I highly recommend it. You're 25 years ahead of your peers.
I had mine at 26. Left a high paying job in law to do art, and go back to school to move into healthcare.
I have never regretted it.
Even though there were a lot of ramen noodles involved along the way.

My husband and I are finally fleeing Long Island aka "Cesspool of Affluenza". We have very narrow occupations and there are no jobs in our favorite Ithaca right now.
But Burlington came highly recommended by our Ithaca friends.

Consider a small town within an hour of a bigger town/small city?

If you're set on Vermont, we liked Montpelier and Brattleboro. If you want a cheap houseshare in a walkable town with good public transportation, I would stick to college towns in the Northeast. You can usually find some mellow grad students if you want to stay away from frat party types.

I don't know how to say this without sounding like a snob, but keep in mind when you choose a town, you may value hanging out with people of the same educational level who would understand what you're going through and what you're trying to accomplish. And I'd point out that you might run into certain types of people giving you a hard time because you gave up a high paying job to chill for a bit. I found that when I lived in a small, less affluent area, people were really nasty to me when they found out I had a law degree and quit the business to wait tables and make salads (and it wasnt like I flaunted it). It was to the point that I didn't tell anyone about my background or why I didn't use the word "y'all". People who were initially friendly, suddenly said "must be nice" and rolled their eyes. This was just as stressful as feeling like I didn't belong in a law office.

Things changed when I moved on to a college town, where people understand what it is to be "a work in progress". I was very comfortable there and made many friends. And friends are important because with all the change, you're going to be susceptible to isolation and depression.

If you're not set on Vermont, I'd highly recommend some of the towns outside of Ithaca. It's a small city/big town in the Finger Lakes and in 10 mins you're in the country. It's cheaper than Vermont and not as xenophobic. I think Central New York is highly underated.
I'll be there in a few years once my husband gets done with school

Good luck-

P.S We are hanging out in Burlington next week Mon 8/24-Thurs 8/27 if you want to have a beer!

[GypsySoul22]

The jobs in this area pay poorly for what you want to do. I doubt working for 8 dollars an hour is going to make enough to supple you with income for a room/apartment.

Also, expecting to just walk into a job is presumptuous right now but if your really not interested in anything but food service or labor, I bet you will find something.

There is bus service (upper valley transit) which runs M-F, no weekends no late nights.

I don't know if this area offers much in 'the singles scene' apart from college life...most people I know are married or single women in their 50s who just seem to work, stay home, and so on.

I agree with LI girl who says try a 'real' college town (maybe near Boston) because the buses will run more often and later. Otherwise, this are is quite dead (again my opinion) and you may find yourself bored.

[Tom Pilla]

thanks a lot for both the responses! "quarter-life crisis" was what i told people my job description was for like 3 months, haha. its been great. and congratulations to you too!

i checked out Burlington last weekend, and it seems great (i was a little wary of the college-y thing because i lived in Boulder, CO, but CU is like 35k undergrads and doesnt seem to have quite the intellectual scene that Burlington does -- maybe its the SoCal influence, rampant development nearby, who knows). Montpelier does seem a little too small, and I hear your points well on the whole resentment and lack of social life issues.

some places in town said they're hiring, so i'm going back up to do the application, "get them to like me" thing this weekend, and there are some fairly cheap houseshares which seem like they would work well.

ligirl: won't be up there until friday afternoon unfortunately, but let me know if you swing back through burlington as im definitely up for a beer (i miss magic hat...a lot).

thanks again. gonna give it a shot, and if it doesnt work Ithaca is definitely on my list for plan B. good luck to you too!

[arctichomesteader]

You could pull off the no car thing in many towns and cities in VT. The problem though is you may find yourself feeling trapped in town and unable to experience the best things about Vermont. I noticed that when my car died last year and then having to rely on others for rides to get out of town for a while.

Don't move up without a job and some budget work seeing if you can afford the rent, etc., on the income.

[Duff in VT]

Go for it and have a good time ! Write back and let us know how it is working out for you !

[doctorbo58]

I salute you!! I am 52 and spend my life chasing money. I am a doctorate level psychologist now and have nothing more than I had when I was 18. I left my dreams behind me; was much happier when I was younger and had no degree, working when I had to and moving as I pleased. I now am in poor health and have no idea what to do. So..... I'm looking for the same things as you are. My kids live in VT and my grandchildren and I think I'll go out there to live. If you get any ideas please post. I'll see ya there. God Bless.

Originally Posted by Tom Pilla

Hi

I am a 25-year old male looking to move to Vermont in order to simplify my life for a while (I know, what a cliche). I went to Dartmouth and am from just south of Boston, so I am sort of familiar with (and love) the general area, but I don't know any towns intimately. I worked on Wall St. and for a fancy branding company in Colorado for 3 years, but got fed up and decided to stop following everyone else's lead and just do what I think I ought to do. And it lead me back east and to Vermont.

What I am looking for is a simple job (coffee shop or something, physical labor is not a problem either so a farmstay type deal would work too), a cheap room nearby that job (probably won't have a car) or at least near something like the Brattleboro Bee Bus, and a place that has at least some semblance of an artsy/engaged community, even if it is tiny (I guess one watering hole where folks gather would be nice, but solitude is really not a problem).

I will be spending much of my time doing things that cost no money (like reading, writing, tinkering, talking, trying to make some friends, music-ing, and enjoying nature) and I have a fairly low-cost lifestyle.

Montpelier seems like an ideal place for what I want, as it has some cheap room shares available, a good service industry, good folks, and I am interested in politics and art and will likely begin to move into those arenas at some point. Who knows if I'll be able to get a job there though. Burlington seems like it might be too big and college-townish, but I may be wrong. Same for Brattleboro (minus college).

Anyway, I'm going to drive up (in a borrowed car) and just explore some towns, but I also wanted to try and get some advice from folks who know. Where would you look if you were me? Any particular towns that jump out in your mind? Any ideas that might accomplish my goals that I haven't thought of?

Thanks a million!

[swanstone1]

Yay you! Explore yourself and potential compatible surroundings. I wholly welcome ANY educated people that want more in a spiritual/environmental sense that have realized life is not about the buck .

[Hollytree]

Reminds me of Jimmy Stewart in "It's a Wonderful Life" when Clarence makes a remark about not needing any money in heaven. Jimmy replies: "Yeah, but it comes in pretty handy down here, Bub."

[Sherylcatmom]

Originally Posted by Hollytree

Reminds me of Jimmy Stewart in "It's a Wonderful Life" when Clarence makes a remark about not needing any money in heaven. Jimmy replies: "Yeah, but it comes in pretty handy down here, Bub."

Good one.

Still, there's a world of difference between building a life around acquiring money and (if one is lucky enough to have this option) building a meaningful life that includes earning sufficient income. It took me into my late 30s to shift from the first way to the second. I've never looked back and now can't imagine how I ever lived otherwise.