I've been in Burlington on and off since 1990. It's a fantastic place to live. Lake Champlain is an absolute gem as well.

You can do pretty well here as a tradesperson. Plumbers and electricians have been turning down jobs since April because they're so busy and so few young people want those jobs. It's not easy work but it pays well for something that only requires an apprenticeship. But outside of that, yeah, it sucks.

And your point on housing absolutely stands, it's awful with a near 0% vacancy rate. And now people are buying houses here above the asking price sight unseen from out of state. This also breeds a lot of moronic nativist sentiment.

The Meateater series on netflix and youtube is a great hunting show that focuses on ethical wild animal harvesting and food preparation if anyone wants to learn more about sustainable living as an omnivore. Really beautiful locations, too.

Insightful post. Especially wrt the nepotism and gatekeeping by chud subcontractors and doing things the hard way. I'm in northern VT and every company is some french canadian last name and every male in that family works for the business.

I've been in my attic and basement for weeks replumbing and rewiring our 1940s house and it's honestly pretty brutal on the lower body and back. Taking breaks and stretching really helps. I'm on SSDI for life now but I'd take that work over my past life's choices in a second if I could. Plumbing and hvac is pretty objectively interesting work.

This is what I don't understand about young people shunning building trades as a career choice. It's immensely satisfying work compared to some bullshit desk job and every plumber and electrician I know makes great money and is either in a union that provides great health care or they're on their own on track to retire in their 50s.

I was in elementary school back in 1980 and I remember our male gym "teacher" grabbing two boys each by their hair and knocking their heads together. Monstrous. Right before having 8 year olds pick teams, which was brutal for the kids picked last. This was in the US, public school in NY.

Just adding that if you're in the upper Midwest/New England salt belt the only thing you'll find in that range is 15 years old and the frame is about to turn to dust.