You'll Find Yourself in the Valley
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 cans Stowe Cider at pretty much every store you walk into. 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, in fact, that 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.
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 that 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 catch sunrise covering the Valley in pink in 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 lift 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 that 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. And never have I ever been more impressed by food selection. I’m still learning where to go, and always taking recommendations, but the Hydeaway, Lawson’s and Worthy Burger have been pretty awesome places to stop after a day of working.
The Challenge
Honestly, moving is tough as well as all the things that come with it. 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… But there are some fun challenges as well. As someone that is from North Carolina, tree skiing/riding has never been my strong suit, but I’m learning really quickly here at Sugarbush. The terrain at both peaks will kick your butt, but honestly, I’m better for it and loving every minute of it.
Now, let’s go back to the first part of this. No matter where you are, what you do, and who you spend your time with. I encourage you that no matter what, 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. And I am forever thankful that my personal leap of faith of moving to the Northeast 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!