Let’s try something… Stand up from wherever you are reading this from. Now, walk outside the closest door to wherever you are and look around. What do you see? Do you like what you see? I’ll come back to this.
Now that I’ve already given you an action item within the first few sentences of this blog, I’ll introduce myself. I’m Megan! I’ve been working as the Marketing Coordinator here at Sugarbush for a little over four months now.
What brought me, as a 25-year-old, to the Valley? Maybe it was my first Maple Creemee I tried last summer before making the move. Maybe it was having access to Heady Topper at pretty much every store you walk into (Just kidding, I don’t like beer. Blasphemous as a Vermonter, I know). Or maybe it was that I wanted my Subaru Outback to live in its natural habitat with what seems to be the rest of the Subaru Outback population.
Okay, it wasn’t any of those. In fact, not being able to find my car in the Mad Taco parking lot and trying to unlock four other Outbacks before finally getting to mine is actually pretty annoying. To be honest, I can’t really nail down why I decided to move to Vermont, but I will tell you some of the things that got me here and a few things that continue to reassure me that I made the right choice in moving to the Green Mountains.
Post-College Confusion
Like most post-grads, I had no idea what I wanted to do after college, so when my family offered me a place to stay in Gilford, New Hampshire to be a snowboard instructor, I figured I would be silly not to jump at the opportunity. I packed up my car and made the trip from Concord, North Carolina to what I thought was going to be a little three-month adventure before heading back down South to start my career.
Long story made a little shorter, I’ve been in the Northeast for a little over three years now and decided I liked it so much, I would explore another state up here. I didn’t spend time really looking for a new job, but when I scrolled past a job posting by Sugarbush, I truly felt the urge to go for it. My boyfriend and I had spent so many weekends visiting Vermont that we got to the point of asking ourselves, “Why don’t we just live here?”
As someone who didn’t know a whole lot about Vermont, just that they had awesome ski resorts and good farm-to-table food, it was definitely a big leap, but it’s proven to be an awesome one. Here are a few of the things that makes it stand out from other places I’ve lived or visited.
The Views
Yes, you can find pretty places no matter where you go, but the views surrounding Sugarbush continue to inspire me daily. Seriously, you could never catch me awake before 8am before moving here, but sometimes I find myself getting out of bed just to watch the sunrise covering the Valley in pink and orange on my way to work.
The People
I’ve never met a group of people who love where they live and love what they do more than the folks in the Mad River Valley. Whether you find yourself at Lawson’s chasing down a homemade pretzel with a delicious beverage, or heading into the single’s line at the Gate House Quad getting ready to hop onto a chair, I guarantee you someone will greet you with a warm smile, spark a conversation, or tell you a favorite memory they have of being in the area. It’s truly something special.
The Food
If you haven’t already noticed, I’m pretty food driven. Snacks, beverages, desserts: you name it, I’ll probably want it. Never have I ever been more impressed by food selection than I have since my move. I’m still learning where to go and always taking recommendations, but the Hyde Away, Lawson’s and Worthy Burger have been pretty killer places to stop after a day of work.
The Challenge
Honestly, moving and the things that come with it are tough. Fitting into an office setting, finding new people to hang out at après with, and finding a place to live are really just the beginning. However, there are quite a few fun challenges as well. As someone from North Carolina, tree skiing/riding has never been my strong suit. That is until I started riding at Sugarbush. The terrain at both peaks will kick your butt, but honestly, I’m better for it and loving every minute.
Now, let’s go back to the first part of this. No matter where you are, what you do, or who you spend your time with, I encourage you to get outside, breathe in the fresh air, and enjoy the things that surround you. Seriously, think about it. Leaps of faith are difficult, but they do pay off. I am forever thankful that my personal leap of faith of moving to the Northeast and then Vermont has proven to be one of the best decisions I’ve made to date.
But hey, if moving isn’t in the cards for you right now, just come visit. You won’t regret it. See you on the slopes!