There's a lot to be said on this. Vermonters will absolutely help you out in a pinch. We're generally good people who are really about small communities and helping out neighbors. It's a truly wonderful state.

That said, the frustration that you're hearing about online is coming from people being upset about out-of-staters moving to Vermont and rising up the cost of housing and rent. A lot of Vermonters who have lived here for a long time are being priced out of their homes and communities and neighborhoods. For a culture very "about" community, that's really really difficult for many of us.

I know you love vermont and we are happy to have you but just know that this has been hard for people. They won't express it in person, but the general thought is there and it's not about you in particular, it's about the overall shift.

There's another component, too, which is the attitude that some people who move here (not you, necessarily, since this post seems to be pretty kind) have about Vermonters. But for some people there's a little bit of looking down their nose at us. Almost like we're country bumpkins. I see a lot of Tik Toks and instagram posts like "Oooh I just moved to this quaint place! Look how cute all the people are!"

Again, this particular grievance is not about you but it does make a lot of us Vermonters bristle. It's not "quaint and cute" it's a state full of complexities like every other state.

The bottom line: everyone moves here some time. None of us is really native to this area, but those of us who have called it home for a long time have deeply engrained traditions and love for our communities that should be respected. If people can move here without jacking up the price and while respecting our community traditions, I hope this transition period will go alright. And welcome. I hope February isn't too cruel :)