Everyone desperately counts down the days until finals are over and school is out for the summer. Excited to be trading in days sitting on the quiet floor of the library for days sitting on the beach, all anyone can think of are the positives that come with the warmest months. But once the glimmer starts to fade, you realize that being away from your college town has its negatives (big ones, too, I might add). And Burlington is no exception, in fact, I'm sure it has an even stronger weight. Living in Burlington comes with a special lifestyle, a special attitude, and special attributes. Leaving for the summer might seem easy at first, until you realize that there is no place that compares to Burly.
1. The acceptance of eating an entire pint of Ben and Jerry's.
Sure, eating ice cream on warm summer nights is a tradition everywhere. Every town comes with its own local ice cream/gelato/frozen yogurt joints. But no town openly encourages you to eat an entire pint all by yourself quite like Burlington does.
2. Wearing Birkenstocks for every occasion.
Birks have taken the fashion world by storm, but they've only made their mark as a casual shoe. In Burlington, there is never a situation that wearing Birkenstocks is not acceptable. Wear them out to dinner, concerts, walks by the lake, formal, you name it. But now you have to endure the dirty looks when you do that at home.
3. Brunch being an everyday occurrence.
Burlington breaks mealtimes into three categories: Brunch, Dinner, and Dessert (see number one...). But everywhere else, brunch is simply a time for the elderly to save money at all-you-can-eat buffets or a time for families to spend an extra hour together after church.
4. Trash, Recycle, Compost bins.
You immediately look down on any establishment that hasn't made this initiative to make our world a better place, and there are a lot of them... You also miss brushing up on this talent of knowing exactly what items go into which bins.
5. Real maple syrup being everywhere.
What do you mean real maple syrup is extra??? And don't even get me started on when mom accidentally buys the fake stuff at the grocery store without even realizing her mistake...
6. Maple syrup flavored everything.
Our obsession with maple syrup doesn't end with the actual syrup. It's truly a disgrace when you're home and you can't order maple lattes or maple donuts or maple ice cream.
7. Feeling like a real photographer at sunset.
Because when you're in Burlington, all you have to do is point your camera towards the sky and you get a 10/10 Instagram photo (no filter necessary). But when you actually have to start trying to make your hometown look just as pretty, well... might as well just give up.
8. Farmer's Market finds on Sunday.
Sure, your county probably has a farmer's market too, but you know that nothing compares to that of Burlington's. They have the happiest flowers and the freshest produce. Everyone else pales in comparison.
9. The vibe of North Beach.
North Beach is unlike any other beach I've ever encountered. Instead of being centered around suntanning and trying to look cute playing beach volleyball, North Beach is all about drinking craft beer, meeting new people, and circling around a bonfire.
10. Greeting strangers on your way from point A to point B.
Everyone in Vermont is naturally friendly (and typically have a dog, too). So when you're in your hometown and everyone looks at their feet to avoid confrontation on the sidewalk, your heart aches for a bit of Burly.
11. The drunk bus.
Because let's be real, it's save your intoxicated self more times than you can count and having it around 24/7 would be really convenient.
