You Moved to Vermont... Now What?
You did it. You packed up your life and moved to the Green Mountain State. Now what? You’ve heard about the close-knit communities and thoughtful neighbors. You know there must be places where the locals go to buy the best food and drink the best beer. But where is everyone? What are the best places to shop and dine? These are all questions I was asking myself when I first moved to southern Vermont six years ago.
My husband and I had just gotten married and were renting an apartment in Manchester, VT. We didn’t know anyone in the area, and his job was 45 minutes away so we weren’t gaining any super local connections from his co-workers. Luckily, I ended up working for a couple of local shops while figuring out what I was going to do long-term. These connections helped me to gain a better sense of what to do and where to go, but I still had a hard time meeting other young people who actually lived here. I had never lived in such a touristy area where you had no idea if someone was just up for a weekend or actually lived in the area.
It wasn’t until we went to a young professionals meetup at the Firefly in Manchester that we actually started to make meaningful connections with other people our age. That meetup led us to meeting someone who is now one of our best friends (Hi, Pete!) and we walked away feeling much better about the area. I was, and still am, grateful for that meetup and knew that one day I wanted to help bring together other young folks in southern Vermont. Fast forward six years and I’m now on the advisory board for the Shires Young Professionals (SYP) helping to do exactly that.
Good news! A group of like minded individuals have been working hard on how to make the process of getting acclimated to southern Vermont easier for newcomers. There is a fantastic organization called the Vermont Welcome Wagon Project (VWWP). Their goal is for people to connect to their new community and “figure out” Vermont as deeply and quickly as best serves them. Sounds great, right? They have made it super easy to join and start building your life in Vermont. Below are some frequently asked questions about the program.
How can I sign up? Fill out this form with some very simple info about yourself (where in VT you relocated to, your interests, any specific questions you have, etc). This info is used only to communicate to the network of hosts and to help geographically connect you most easily. Within a couple of weeks of submitting the form, you can expect to hear from a host looking to connect.
What can you expect? Hosts will reach out to you to find a mutually convenient and safe location (such as a local coffee shop) to connect and share ideas about how to find community and get acquainted. They hope this time spent will give you a better sense of what life in Vermont is and can be like.
Who can participate? This isn’t just for young professionals moving to the area! All adults are invited to participate. They believe diversity is fundamental to a strong and vibrant Vermont. By intention and design, the program welcomes all people to participate. They respect and affirm the dignity of each member of the community.
SYP is also here to help you find your way in the Shires of southern Vermont. Our vision is to help young professionals in the area create deep roots in our community that encourage them to stay and build a prosperous life in the Shires of Vermont. A young professional is anyone between the ages of 21-40 who live and work in the Shires. What are the Shires? I was asking this very question when I first moved to the area. Anchored by Bennington, the Southshire, and Manchester, the Northshire, the region is a collective of quintessential Vermont towns and villages connected by a scenic ribbon of highway known as Historic Route 7A (now the Shires of Vermont Byway). These towns include Arlington, Bennington, North Bennington, Danby, Dorset, Manchester, Peru, Pownal, Rupert, Sandgate, Shaftsbury, Stratton, Sunderland, and Woodford. If you live in one of these towns, we would love to hear from you and see you at one of our meetups!
Our group is targeted for young Vermonters, but we have an “open access” policy allowing everyone to participate and join. The first SYP event you attend is free and after that membership is required so you can continue to take advantage of the various services we offer. By supporting our efforts, we can continue to increase our focus on bringing together young Vermonters to connect, empower and develop. Click here to learn more about our membership options and see below for a quick overview of the tiers. All of us on the SYP advisory board look forward to meeting you at our next event or social! We’re sure you’ll grow to love the area as much as we all do.
Young Professional: $20 every 12 months
Young Leader: $50 every 12 months
Corporate: $500 every 12 months
SYP in Spirit: $25 every 12 months
Southern Vermont is an incredibly special place to live and work. My husband and I were lucky enough to call Dorset our home for the past five years and are about to move a few towns south to Shaftsbury. The Bennington area has so much to offer between new breweries, amazing trail networks and the proximity to New York and Massachusetts. Let me know if you have any suggestions for what we should check in our first few months in the Southshire. I’ll leave you with a question… What's one new thing you've discovered or learned since you moved to Vermont? I wasn’t a skier before moving to Vermont, and now I can’t imagine going through winters without heading up to the ski hills! Be sure to share in the comment section below.
-Mary & the SYP Advisory Board
