What Brings Me to Vermont

I was recently asked as part of an icebreaker, where is my preferred vacation spot? To which I quickly responded: Vermont. Since 2018, my family and I have taken regular trips from our home in Maryland to Vermont, as well as other parts of New England and upstate New York. 

Upon my return, people often ask me “Why Vermont?”  Sometimes there is a slightly puzzled look behind the question. They ask if I have family there or if I went there as a child, neither of which is the case.

I have always found the question interesting. No one ever asks why someone goes to the beach or some other travel destination. In the end, the place is not as important as the reason. When vacationing we are often seeking something. It could be an escape from the daily grind, the need for rest and renewal, the hope of discovery while exploring, the desire to recapture something lost, or a combination of all those. Regardless, a change of scenery is helpful in providing personal resets and lasting memories.

Over the years, my reasons for going to Vermont have evolved from something that I wanted to do, to being a place where my kids and I reconnect, reflect, and grow.  

When I had the opportunity to choose a vacation spot for my children and me, I wanted a place I had never been but wanted to go. I thought of places that I wanted to experience for the first time with my kids. Thinking back through my life, Vermont had that appeal. As we continued these trips, the concepts of peace and calmness of place evolved into the hope of new experiences and growth in my relationship with my kids. 

Seven years later, my kids are now 16 and 15. We made it through the pandemic. (In fact, 2020 was the only year we did not make it up to Vermont.) They have changed schools once or twice. I bought and sold a house. I ended one chapter of my career and began another. And yet, Vermont has been a common thread.

Each year, as we discuss where we want to go and what we want to do next time, I always offer we could go places other than Vermont. But both Cade and Liberty say they look forward to our return. Our shared reflections over the years have helped to ground us and provide a bank of shared memories. This blog, Where the Roads Lead, shares my personal journey of being a dad and connecting with my kids.