ilovermont

The day after we packed up Scott's moving truck, he picked me up bright and early at 6 a.m. and we spent the day driving our way northeast. We found simple joys in checking out the goods at rest stops, we talked about our childhood, we laughed about our parents' idiosyncrasies, we played the alphabet game (and I won...but I'm not competitive), we researched states as we drove through them (we're not nerds, we're just addicted to information), we got slaphappy and laughed our way straight through several miles, we ate plenty of fast food and we got in to Albany, New York at 11:30 p.m. I don't even remember the last time I spent 16 1/2 straight hours on the road. Scott proceeded to drive up to his apartment in Vermont and I spent the night in Albany which gave me the opportunity to drive around some old stomping grounds the next morning. When I was 14, my family moved from Saint Louis to a small little town outside of Albany where we lived for 7 years. I finished high school there and then went on to college, but have very fond memories of our home and our life there. It was very surreal to drive around our small town and drive past our old house and to breathe that fresh upstate air and soak up old memories. I can't wait to bring Josh and our kiddos to this place that has really become so foundational to who I am today.

This was the end of the road where we lived, one of my most favorite and peaceful places in NY.


I continued on in the truck to Stowe, Vermont, a beautiful drive from Albany, and enjoyed the time alone to soak up more of the northeast and the quiet. Stowe is a quaint little ski village where Scott found a great job and a sweet homey apartment and it's pretty darn near to Ben & Jerry's factory, which I stopped by while I was there. Scott and I were able to spend some time in the evenings in Burlington and we ate some excellent food at some awesome restaurants. Burlington is a small city burgeoning with culture and beauty. It's also where Phish got their start.

Scott at American Flatbread, an awesome pizza joint


The sunset over Lake Champlain.


It's pretty wild that in the same year, in the span of just four months, really, I moved two of my favorite people, my friend Shannon and my brother Scott, to two opposite ends of the United States. I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to do both and to have closure that way, but there is a sadness that comes with closing those chapters, as well. I love my brother so much and miss his being able to just stop by and hang out. But Vermont holds a lot of exciting new adventures for him and I'm glad for this opportunity for him. We love you, Scott.