Nov, 23, 2019
The area that I explored over my holiday vacation was the woods in my back yard. I currently live in Essex, VT in a house my family built around eight years ago. We live on about three acres of land just bordering the town of colchester. The land itself is very hilly with shallow soil and a large marsh to the left of the house. Over the years, people have utilized the land as a hunting area as well as a place for new development. My own family and friends have used our property for hunting during deer and partridge season. However, the new development of houses has somewhat hampered the hunting in the area. Right up the road is a natural pond called colchester pond. My family, and many other citizens of Vermont, have used colchester pond as a place to hike, fish, canoe, and kayak. Due to places like these and the memories I have of them, they are the first to come to mind when considering sense of place. My house is definitely the most important but places like colchester pond make me think of SOP in terms of scale. Not only are these places important to me, they are also key pieces in the community. Because Essex, VT is a rather small town, people share many of the same areas. Everyone I grew up with had hiked around colchester pond, had passes to Indian brook reservoir, and knew every restaurant in town. Since going to school, it has really made me compare my home to life at UVM. Talking to new people from out of state has made me realize how small my town and community was compared to others. Burlington is the biggest city in VT, and it’s weird to hear people compare it to cities they grew up in like NYC and Chicago. However, how and where I grew up significantly shaped how I am. Im used to a more close knit community comprised of people who like to ski, hunt, and be outdoors. Growing up in Vermont is very different than how other people may have grown up. But, I personally have thoroughly enjoyed how I grew up and the Vermonters I have met.
