People living in Burlington, Vermont (Burlington), proudly call themselves Burlingtonians and take pride in their identity.

However, the reality is that it is just a quiet little town by the lake, yet the locals try to present it as a "northern free city" on par with New York or Boston. The downtown area is just a few blocks in front of a small church, and they boast about the atmosphere, saying, "Isn't the vibe nice?" while struggling to find parking in a not-so-convenient area.

Ultimately, the only places to go are cookie shops, cafes, breweries, and stores selling Vermont cheese. From a big city perspective, you could see everything in just 15 minutes and think, "Is that it?" but here, that's a point of pride. And people insist on praising it to those who don't know better. "This quietness is true luxury," they say. Honestly, you can already tell the scale of the city from that tone.

The problem is that this neighborhood is slow, expensive, cold, and has limited options, yet they believe they are living a sophisticated life. When you bring up rent or housing prices in Burlington, they suddenly justify thousands of dollars by talking about the "value of the great lake view." But it's not a place where people flock like in Gangnam, Seoul, or Manhattan, New York.

You simply have to spend a lot on bread, cheese, craft beer, and almost everything labeled "local" while shivering from heating costs next to a frozen lakeside in winter. And they even advise you to enjoy it as if it's something to be proud of.

It seems there's a vibe here that "cheap is inferior." Even if a large franchise comes in, they get angry and criticize it for ruining the "Vermont spirit," while simultaneously raising rents significantly. It's just a small-town feel in a neighborhood with a high nose.

And what about the weather? Winter lasts at least six months, and with snow falling, freezing, and melting, the roads become a mess, yet people take pride in saying, "This is truly living in harmony with nature." They only shout about kayaking, skiing, and hiking in freezing weather, but the problem is that all these hobbies cost money. Equipment, season passes, transportation, clothes, and boots are all expensive. Yet if you don't participate, they pressure you with, "Why are you just sitting here? Experience nature!"

Nature is nice, but it feels like they emphasize it because there's not much else to do. After slipping once in winter, you might start to rethink, "Why live here when nature is this harsh?" leading to some philosophical questioning.

This place is also known for its very progressive political leanings. People emphasize a just and fair society, but the reality is that the housing prices and cost of living push some people out. The neighborhood that claims to love the common people is actually making it hard for them to live here.

Yet everyone, intoxicated by their own views, declares, "This is the true clean and advanced life!" Ironically, they dislike development but enjoy rising home prices. There are also job shortages, but they suppress everything under the banner of "Vermont's slow life."

Ultimately, living in Burlington means getting used to a small-town atmosphere, accepting high costs as normal, and living amidst winter cold and endless local pride. If you settle in a place like this, you might suddenly feel that other cities are complicated and suffocating.

So, this place is a city that strangely becomes addictive between comfort and inconvenience. You can neither love it nor hate it, and when you leave, you miss it, but living there can be frustrating. If you like Burlington like this, then you've already been conditioned to its style.