Before moving to Vermont, I never expected to live in a place in the U.S. with so few Koreans.

In cities like LA or New York, it's not hard to find at least one Korean market.

But living in Vermont, the atmosphere is definitely different.

Recent population estimates suggest that the total Korean population in Vermont is around 1,500 to 2,000, but the numbers can vary slightly depending on how mixed heritage is counted.

With the entire population of Vermont being about 650,000, that's a really small number. Just next door, New Hampshire has a population of 1.6 million.

Fortunately, the areas where Koreans tend to gather more are Burlington and the surrounding Chittenden County.

According to the 2024 population estimate, the Korean population in Chittenden County is about 600-650.

So here, when you hear Korean on the street, you automatically turn around.

When I first moved here, I had a moment like this. I casually asked someone, "Where's the casino around here?"

My American friend stared at me blankly for about five seconds.

Thinking I had messed up my English, I repeated, "Casino?" and only then did they laugh and tell me there are no casinos in Vermont.

There are none in Burlington or South Burlington. So if you want to go to a casino, it becomes a trip.

You either have to head north over the Canadian border to Montreal or drive toward New York state.

If you start from Burlington, you should expect it to take about two hours to get to the nearest one.

From a Korean perspective, this is an interesting difference.

In Korea, going to Kangwon Land feels like a big outing, but around major U.S. cities, there are many casinos that are surprisingly close.

However, in Vermont, casinos have become like Kangwon Land again.

"Should I just take $100 and go today?" That thought doesn't work. When you think about the hours of driving back and forth, it suddenly feels like a hassle.

On the other hand, I think this could be a benefit.

It's not just the people who go to casinos to lose big money that are the problem.

When they're nearby, people go out of boredom, grab a bite to eat, pull a slot machine once, and then it can become a habit.

But here, it's hard to go impulsively. There are few Koreans, no Korean town, and no casinos.

At first, I thought, "Oh no, did I move to a place that's too boring?"

Even to buy one Korean ingredient, I have to look it up in advance, and it's hard to expect to drive 10 minutes just to get Korean-style Chinese food when I crave jjajangmyeon.

Driving around Burlington, you can see mountains, and just a little outside the city, you encounter truly picturesque scenery.

While you don't have the convenience of a big city with thousands or tens of thousands of Koreans, you also have less complexity.

Sometimes I do miss seeing Koreans.

When I hear Korean in the market, I feel unexpectedly happy, and I want to ask fellow Koreans where they're from.

Considering that there are only a few thousand Koreans in all of Vermont, it's understandable.

My curiosity started with asking where the casino was, but in the end, I gained a better understanding of the town of Vermont.

Here, you have to intentionally seek out whatever you want to do.

Whether it's a casino, Korean food, or meeting Koreans, you have to go out of your way.

But it's a strangely comforting place to live quietly.