Trying to Get Back to Burlington...

This picture somehow sums up how I always thought Burlington would feel...  and it sort of does. 

I dated this guy, Craig, for two years at the end of high school and through my freshman and sophomore years of college, and our song was Canadian Rose by Blues Traveler.

You can check it out here:

Our relationship ended mutually and we are still friends and he is a good guy who is married and has his very own kid and we talk on rare occasions. 

Either way - I memorized most of Blues Traveler's music to further that relationship and there are some things you can never get out of your head.  This song is one.  I don't mind.  They are an amazing band.  I own every album.

And BT deserves to be mentioned somewhere in my Burlington blogs - so here they are.  And here's a toast to Craig wherever he is, and to Burlington in the fall - which I hope to witness one day.

I admit that Burlington was my first choice when it came to places to live.

I had never visited before, it was just a hunch.  One of those feelings you get down in your gut.

We went camping in Vermont last July but didn't make it this far north.  It didn't matter much.  Southern Vermont was enough for me to fall in love with the whole state.

The rush of excitement when we drove across the state line was exhilarating.  I couldn't wait to get to Burlington.  To really be there.  To walk around down town and see the town hall and do all the things!

We arrived late, leveled the bus, and slept.  The next day, Michael worked.  I twiddled my thumbs and took the kids to the pool at the campground and explored the playground scene.  And twiddled my thumbs.

When he finished work I donned my backpack and dragged everyone downtown.

I felt... let down.

I loved fact that we made it for Festival of Fools, an annual gathering of street performers on Burlington's own Church Street (pedestrian only) - I'm a huge sucker for street performers (I married a busker of sorts) - but Church Street made me a little sad.

Ithaca's Commons is home to all local and unique shops and eateries, while Burlington's Church Street has several chains.  There are local places, but it seems like the storefronts are too pricey to accommodate or welcome many of the local business.  I only saw a couple of coffee places.  And. no. theatres.

Church Street.

I liked the vibe of Burlington - but I wasn't sure I could live somewhere with no theatre scene.

And could we even dream of affording it?

And a house with a yard just outside the city?  Surely that was a pipe dream.

Surely.

And then we came home.

And Googled things.

And ah - there were theatres - but mostly hiding.

And there was affordable housing.

And maybe Burlington would be all I thought it could be in it's melancholy, artsy, hipster way...  Maybe.