TheKindnessofStrangers

October 11, 2026

I arrived at my new spot, a farm outside a town of about 600 people. Deanna, my host, met me with a hug and a tour of the property. She noticed my yoga pants and immediately invited me to her barre class down the road. Twenty minutes later I was in her passenger seat, heading into “town.”

I expected a studio. Instead, we pulled up to the town hall, which used to be the old schoolhouse, hundreds of years ago, and the “barre” was the edge of the stage. There were six women, all of them thrilled to have a newcomer. Afterward, the instructor invited me to stay for the line dancing class. I politely declined, but I loved that it was an option.

Then Deanna took me to the local pizza shop and wouldn’t let me pay. She told me her boys have grown up and left the farm, and that hosting and taking care of people is what she loves most. Her husband was out of town, so for the night it was “just us girls.”

The pool in the backyard still hadn’t been winterized, and Deanna mentioned that her pool guy hadn’t come to clean and close it yet. She quickly turned it into a win by planning a cold plunge to start our next day.

True to her word, we started the next morning with that plunge. They’d just had their first hard freeze, so the pool was a brisk 50 degrees. The sun was shining, but it was also raining, which I’m learning is simply normal here. One town over, the weather can be completely different.

I expected ten minutes in 50-degree water to feel endless. Instead, it flew by, because we just stood there talking about life. It turns out one of the best ways to get to know someone is to share a small, shocking, slightly ridiculous experience.

Afterward, I drove to Killington and took a chairlift up the mountain to see the foliage from above. It was absolutely beautiful, a whole hillside on fire with color, and a good reminder to look at things from a new angle.

The next morning, Deanna gave me a tour of the whole farm and introduced me to her four alpacas, and I got to feed them. As she told me each of their names and a little about each one, she mentioned that Georgia, one of the alpacas, shares a birthday with her husband: July 25th. I immediately said, “No way, that’s my birthday!” She threw her arms around me and said, “Ah, no wonder I like you so much.”

Then she took me inside to meet her husband, my second birthday twin of the day. We chatted briefly, and they invited me to dinner for homemade pasta. That evening, Deanna messaged to check on me, asked if I needed anything, and offered to do my laundry.

On the morning I left, she gifted me an alpaca hat. It was such a small, thoughtful gesture, but a little way for me to always remember Dream Catcher Farm.

After five days of solitude at the lake, I didn’t realize how much I needed this until it arrived. The quiet was good for me. But this kind of open-armed welcome from a kindred spirit is the most beautiful reminder of why I do this. It was genuinely a lovely stay.

And now I know that if I ever come back to Vermont, I have a family waiting for me. It’s people like Deanna and her family who make a traveler’s soul complete.