Basse-Ville (Lower Town), Quebec City, looking up at Le Chateau Frontenac.
Cheers! xo!
Every year the Montpelier Valentine Phantom plasters the city with hearts. It’s lovely. Here are a few images of the historic downtown, heart style.
Sending lots of love, strength and hope to those affected by Hurricane Sandy. To relatives, friends and strangers on Long Island, in New York City and everywhere else, may you soon have power, hot water, a plan of action for your house if necessary and the warmth of community surrounding you. Vermont feels your pain in an all too familiar way, since Sandy comes only 14 months after Irene.
Vermont Strong, New York Strong — may we all be united and strong.
Dear Vermont,
It’s been just over one year since I moved here. Last year when I arrived in the tiny apartment, my first thought upon seeing just how much room the contents of the car (not even the storage unit) occupied of the living room, was along the lines of oh my gosh; what did I do? But one week later accompanied by nonstop cleaning, painting, and organizing, and the apartment turned into an adorable home and so began life in Vermont.
Back in summer 2008, I visited Burlington on my to Thousand Island Park, and the total time here was less than 24 hours, but I loved it and sighed at the fact that I wasn’t planning to move to Vermont. Little did I know that less than one year later I’d be excitedly sporting a University of Vermont t-shirt as I trekked up north from the Carolinas. On the drive up in June 2009, I’ll never forget the striking beauty of the blue sky and the green mountains and the peaceful vibe I felt.
Much of time from September – May was spent only in Burlington, in my circle from the apartment to Wheeler House to the library to the gym and back. Occasionally class projects brought me to Montpelier and the barn census project offered a nice venture to Windham County. Running along beautiful Lake Champlain in all of the seasons fed my love of Vermont. Other than those few places, I hadn’t been out much. I did know that I was very happy to be here; but, it wasn’t until June 2010 as I headed south on Route 12 to Woodstock that I realized my deep love for Vermont. I realized I was in love with you, Vermont. Of course, I’ve loved other states and want to visit them again (like South Dakota), but never have I felt so attached to a particular state in such a short period of time and truly wanted to live there. I love driving anywhere in the state (save for Burlington traffic congestion) and everywhere is beautiful. As I spend more and more time in Addison County for work, my adoration only grows. I think the view from Chimney Point Historic Site is one of the most beautiful that I’ve ever seen. I don’t think I’ll ever grow tired of gazing at Vermont scenery.
Technically, I’ll never be a true Vermonter (that takes somewhere around seven generations), just a transplanted flatlander, but I don’t mind. I’m happy to have lived four states before Vermont. I have Vermont to thank for curing my geographic commitment phobia. You see, I never yearned to stay in one place for a long time; I always had my next move planned and my dreams of living way out in the cowboy west. However, now I’d be more than content to stay in Vermont for a very long time. The rolling hills, sparkling Lake Champlain, the blue skies and green mountains over the farms and villages, the landscaped has captured my heart. When I leave, even for a short while, I miss Vermont. There’s so much to see and I look forward to continued travels throughout the state. Vermont, you’re quirky and green and always a surprise, and I am proud to live here.
Thanks for a good first year, Vermont.
Love, Kaitlin
A reprint from the June 2009 issue of Preservation in Pink, but worth sharing on this Valentine’s Day. I love historic preservation, don’t you? Have a wonderful day!
Click for larger image.
Preservation in Pink 
