Northeast area questions

[Cortopassi]

Hi all,

We have visited a few schools in Vermont and Maine over the past few days for my younger daughter.

Interested in anyone’s opinions on those states, esp. Vermont, which scored higher for all of us in family discussions. We visited UVM in Burlington.

She wants to do environmental science.

[flyingpylon]

Well, I grew up 30 minutes south of Burlington, attended UVM and graduated with an Environmental Studies degree. I went through a couple of majors to get to that point, took a year off, and took some extra time to finish my thesis so I got done in 1990. It was more of an individually-designed major in those days and I categorize it as a “broad liberal arts degree”. My father was on the staff there for 22 years. Both of my parents still live in the area (separately) and I make it back there every year or two.

I don’t keep up with what’s going on at UVM now but I’d be happy to answer any questions here or in DMs.

[Kriegsspiel]

I thought Burlington was pretty nice, especially the area by the lake (lots of yuppies walking around). There are some run-down areas, but they still didn't seem bad by any stretch. The Ethan Allen Homestead was very cool.

Middlebury was a nice town also, but I hope your daughter isn't thinking of going to their college

Portland ME has a cool seaside and downtown, and even some fairly ritzy places. I really liked it. The people have very thick accents. Just south of it, Old Orchard Beach, has a cool small town beach-going area.

I thought Portsmouth NH was a hidden gem (maybe just to me? I'd never heard of it). The downtown area is almost European, with its narrow, winding streets. I don't think there's a college there so maybe it's not on your radar, but it's worth a visit.

Overall I really enjoyed New England, one of my favorite places in America. The White Mountains are beautiful.

[yankees60]

We have visited a few schools in Vermont and Maine over the past few days for my younger daughter.

Our very own Vinny is from Massachusetts, which is not far. Maybe he’s be willing to chat with her or give her a tour of the area?

It's about 3 hours / 180 miles from me. I am closer to Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City!

I have never been in the area of the school so I have nothing to offer.

[barrett]

Not a Vermont expert by any means but I live in CT and have been up that way quite a bit over the years. As is the case with a lot of northern schools, their campuses can be absolutely gorgeous in the summer and fall and very cold with short days/long nights in the winter. Could be worth going back before the first semester ends in the fall if you can swing it and that's not already too late for applications, etc. The young people I know who have gone to school up that way (Colby in Maine & Middlebury in Vermont) were big into skiing so they actually looked forward to the winter months.

Vermont tends to be very progressive and I would think someone studying environmental science might be surrounded by a lot of other like-minded folks.

Hope she finds a school that she really likes!

[yankees60]

Not a Vermont expert by any means but I live in CT and have been up that way quite a bit over the years. As is the case with a lot of northern schools, their campuses can be absolutely gorgeous in the summer and fall and very cold with short days/long nights in the winter. Could be worth going back before the first semester ends in the fall if you can swing it and that's not already too late for applications, etc. The young people I know who have gone to school up that way (Colby in Maine & Middlebury in Vermont) were big into skiing so they actually looked forward to the winter months.

Vermont tends to be very progressive and I would think someone studying environmental science might be surrounded by a lot of other like-minded folks.

Hope she finds a school that she really likes!

Bernie S is a Vermont senator and he WAS the mayor of Burlington!

[Cortopassi]

Thanks, all. We visited UVM, Middlebury, UMaine, and Colby.

UVM sits at the top. We all found Maine to be pretty, but a bit too rural for what we are used to. The two smaller schools, esp Colby were very pretty and the students genuinely seemed to enjoy their time there.

And then there was the trip home. Bangor to ohare. Plane first had mech issues, 1.5 how delay. Then ohare had bad weather, 2 hour delay, then canceled.

We decided to rent a car and drive 19 hours home, otherwise the next plane wasn't until tomorrow because they had back to back bad days.

We are now about 2 hours from home. We've all been up over 30 hours

I, unlike a lot of you, hate traveling specifically because of things like this!

[Cortopassi]

I wanted to share an experience and wonder what you all might have done.

We were supposed to fly back Tuesday (see previous post for what happened). Monday night, my younger one said she had a sore throat. We are all vaccinated.

My wife sort of freaked out. Wanted to go the the store to buy a thermometer and check her temp.

I asked her what she was planning on doing with that info. I kept on saying, we are vaccinated. She is 17. She rarely ever gets sick. If it is a cold or Covid, regardless, it was not going to stop me from getting on the plane and going home.

So I absolutely would have gotten on the plane (and we did, but it never took off!)

What do you think here? What would you have done?

So right now, she has what pre-Covid, I would call a regular run of the mill cold. Could it be Covid? I assume yes. But, being vaccinated, my position will always be, why would I go get tested? I am vaccinated. I am not around 12 year olds and younger. My immediate family is all vaccinated.

This mentality hopefully changes over time as we get used to Covid being around. I know, some of you believe this will never happen. I do, though.

[Cortopassi]

Put on a mask and get on the plane. They claim the masks work and require everyone to wear one on flights anyway, so even if she had Covid, it shouldn't be an issue, right?

Just my thoughts, not medical advice, consult Dr Fauci, etc.

Funny, stuff. Not funny, I guess. I don't think most of these guidelines would pass a logic or common sense test.



And the symptoms are:



So, if I'm tired, have a headache, or have diarrhea, I shouldn't get on a plane....I probably wouldn't get on with diarrhea anyway.

[Xan]

Those guidelines are as close to useless as I can think of.

I would imagine that everybody flying knows that a significant proportion of people on the plane probably have some of these symptoms, and that's the price of admission.

[flyingpylon]

This is how the vaccinated spread COVID and why it’s silly to blame only the unvaccinated or think that vaccines are the only way forward.

Not saying that COVID was definitely spread in this situation or even that Cortopassi made the wrong choice. But the vaccines change the calculus by which the decision is made. Symptoms aren’t that bad so no biggie. Meanwhile new variants like Delta and waning efficacy of the vaccines change the equation without people knowing it. There’s no practical way to keep up.

Anyway Corto, I hope your daughter gets well soon.

[Cortopassi]

This is how the vaccinated spread COVID and why it’s silly to blame only the unvaccinated or think that vaccines are the only way forward.

Not saying that COVID was definitely spread in this situation or even that Cortopassi made the wrong choice. But the vaccines change the calculus by which the decision is made. Symptoms aren’t that bad so no biggie. Meanwhile new variants like Delta and waning efficacy of the vaccines change the equation without people knowing it. There’s no practical way to keep up.

Anyway Corto, I hope your daughter gets well soon.

I totally agree. And that is what the overall CDC/government/etc has to realize and hopefully communicate. We can "kind of" manage this, but in general, most everyone is going to get this at some point because there is no China "weld you in your house" kind of control.

I don't understand some people's overwhelming continued anxiety about this. If you can and want to, get the vaccine. If you don't want to, don't. Either way you may or may not get it, and if you do get it the hope is your symptoms are less if you're vaccinated. But not guaranteed. That's life.

[Xan]

This is how the vaccinated spread COVID and why it’s silly to blame only the unvaccinated or think that vaccines are the only way forward.

Not saying that COVID was definitely spread in this situation or even that Cortopassi made the wrong choice. But the vaccines change the calculus by which the decision is made. Symptoms aren’t that bad so no biggie. Meanwhile new variants like Delta and waning efficacy of the vaccines change the equation without people knowing it. There’s no practical way to keep up.

Anyway Corto, I hope your daughter gets well soon.

I totally agree. And that is what the overall CDC/government/etc has to realize and hopefully communicate. We can "kind of" manage this, but in general, most everyone is going to get this at some point because there is no China "weld you in your house" kind of control.

I don't understand some people's overwhelming continued anxiety about this. If you can and want to, get the vaccine. If you don't want to, don't. Either way you may or may not get it, and if you do get it the hope is your symptoms are less if you're vaccinated. But not guaranteed. That's life.

Agreed 100%, with the exception of kids under 12.