Spiders, Skunks, and Stars Oh My

Jon and I spent the weekend in the very green and very hilly state of Vermont for the wedding of our friends John and Jenn. I’d never been to Vermont before which seemed to shock people somewhat. I don’t know why; just because its part of New England doesn’t mean that I have to go there, right? I don’t ski and I don’t camp so what does VT have to offer me? And I’m talking dirt roads Vermont, like almost in Canada Vermont. Road signs switched from towns to countries where we were… Burlington 40, Canada 54. It’s a shock to the system.

What I will say about Vermont is that it is a very lush and foliage heavy state. It’s green as far as the eye can see. It’s really an untapped region which is shocking but refreshing. Just as you start yearning for a Starbucks or a sky scraper you realize how amazing it is that there is so much open and untouched land. The Eco-friendly in me kicks in and suddenly I’m willing to chain myself to a tree and stare down the evil men and machines of deforestation and development. What? Paul Bunyan much?

I forgot the reason I started this entry. Oh yeah, within two hours of being there we saw a skunk walk by us to which Jon and I ran like school girls and then a spider the size of an elephants foot which left me with an unsettling feeling. Nature is scary – plain and simple. But because we were so far removed from any city dwellings or even habitable land when darkness fell it was a pitch black night with more stars than I’ve ever experienced. Layer upon layers of millions of stars, it was quite remarkable to see. I also had the luck of seeing 3 shooting stars in our two nights stay in Vermont which as stupid as it sounds really makes you realize there’s a whole world we miss living in the city – bugs and all.