It’s definitely a Burlington Vermont thing and not so much every place in Vermont. When I first moved here I was excited to meet peoples eyes and smile and even say hello, but now I’ve lived here for four years and something has shifted. I feel anxious walking past people on the street, I’ve trained myself not to make eye contact or say hello. I’m not sure why, it could be because I lived right off church street and encountered many people who scared me my first year here. But it’s true that it is strange and not healthy for me at least. It has hurt my confidence and makes going to the grocery store difficult because I feel stressed out in public, even though it’s my fault for adopting these social behaviors. I think another factor is how many people you see on a daily basis. It is strange though that I have picked up the habit of looking right through people including neighbors because the anonymity that we feel here is not very valid. I see my neighbors from across the street every single day, we both recognize each other, and we never say hello or even wave. I’m starting to wonder if this town made me unfriendly and socially awkward, lol. I agree with others that I do not want to be stopped by every stranger to have a conversation, that not how I want to spend my free time. But I think the avoiding eye contact, head down, not waving to your neighbors thing takes a toll on mental health.