New Hampshire/Vermont, Monday Jan 5

My first in-person interview was scheduled at the VA in White River Junction, Vermont. WRJ has a population of 2,000 people. Having grown up in small town of Sonoma, California (population 10,000), I thought that I was adequately prepared to deal with rural towns. However, WRJ proved to be even more rural than I had imagined.

I flew out of SFO at 10pm on Sunday, January 4. From there I had a layover in Philly and then flew in to Manchester, New Hampshire where I arrived at 8:55am on Monday morning and rented a car to drive the 90 miles into WRJ. The first thing I noticed was the cold. Coming out of the terminal, I could immediately feel glimpses of what became the coldest weather this Californian had ever been exposed to. A ripe 15 degrees, Vermont had just seen snow the day prior.

Driving along Interstate 64W from New Hampshire to Vermont, I weaved through snowcapped, tree-and-river-lined highways and was struck by how little traffic there was. The second least populated state in the nation, Vermont is not known for its excitement (I later learned from one of the current interns that bars close at 9pm in WRJ). I was also confused by how quickly New Hampshire became Vermont. I later learned that in the Tri-State area, and in White River Junction specifically, the two states are somewhat interchangeable despite major cultural differences (Vermont is a liberal state, New Hampshire more conservative and with more wealth).

Scenery along the drive

Scenery along the drive

I arrived at my Super 8 motel around 11am to find that it was in eyesight of the VA where I was interviewing the following day. I decided to take a shower and rest a bit before venturing out to the sites recommended by the training director in his email to us.

VA in White River Junction, VT- view from the hotel

By 1pm I had mapped out my route, and began to embark on some New England sightseeing. I decided to check out the town of Hanford, NH, home of Dartmouth College, because part of the internship involves working with college students on this campus. Strolling the main street of the small college town, I could sense the wealth of its J Crew and Northface-wearing population. The actual campus was stunningly beautiful, with old brick buildings. I stopped in to the main arts center, Hood Hall, where I de-robed a bit and sat down to text friends while listening to a student practice piano and singing upstairs. I saw advertisements for Kushner plays and Dartmouth’s “American Idol” competition. I saw indie artist kids sipping lattes and reading the newspaper.

Central Dartmouth campus

Chapel on Dartmouth campus

Snowed over tennis courts

Arts center, Dartmouth

After leaving Hanford I stopped by Quechee Gorge, a stunning deep ravine in the middle of a snow-filled forest. The young woman working there warned me that the trail was “icy” and to make sure I used the railings. I ventured down the path, weaving through the trees about 30 mins (more of a triumph given the icy pathway and snow, which sunk my shoes down below the earth. I finally came to a beautiful clearing, where I looked down about 200 feet to the river running beneath.

Quechee Gorge hike

Finally made it to the water!

I began to get hungry, but decided to drive another 10 miles or so to Woodstock, the “quintessential New England town” as described in the application materials. Indeed it was, with small red bridges clearing little rivers cutting through the snow, tiny shops with local artistry, and railroad tracks along the side of the road.

Eventually I made it back to WRJ, where I found a brewery around 5pm. When I entered, about 10 men ages 30-65 or so stood around the bar talking sports while young women, ages 20-30 served them beer. I grabbed a flight and had an amazing coffee stout. I also ate something whose name I can’t quite wrap my head around (cock-a-doodle, or something) which resembled chicken pot pie but had a puff pastry on top. I noticed how the men all knew the bartenders and one another, and no one other than the servers interacted with me (and even that was a bit sparse). I felt oddly at home, as this place somewhat resembled Sonoma without the sun.

 

Coffee stout on the far right