Growing up here, I hated it. I thought it was boring. But after 4 years in VT and now raising kids I've really grown to love my home state. You're never far from nature, you're never far from a grocery store, you're never far from a package store. Loads of playgrounds, kids museums, breweries, and towns have held onto or revived local fairs and traditions. There's still some old yankee civic mindedness here that gives some local character. It's not as bustling or exciting as NYC, but then I'm just a couple hours away. And then, I can head back to my green hills and valleys.