Updated: Feb 5, 2018
by David Michael Kirby
My name is David Kirby. I usually live in downtown Newark, NJ (a much more hip place than you might imagine) and work in New York City. I’m an actor and a writer and a photographer. That means I work lots of jobs that have nothing to do with acting or writing or photography. However, for the rest of July, my job is to live in Vermont and share my stories about being here. My Vermontime.
Being here is a dream opportunity for me. I love New York City, but to experience life in Vermont first-hand, discovering new places and new paces of existence, was -- well -- an offer I couldn’t refuse. I’ll write daily for this blog, though you can keep up with my adventure in real time on Instagram (@vermontime), Facebook (@vermontime) and Twitter (you guessed it: @vermontime).
I arrived in West Dover Tuesday evening. (Full disclosure: I’ve been here before, attending ITVFest -- the Independent Television and Film Festival -- each fall for the last four years.) It is an easy drive from metro-NYC; I arrived in less than four hours!
I’ve never seen Vermont in the summer. It is lush, green and bursting with oxygen. Approaching my destination, I rolled down the windows and turned off the music, reveling in the air and scenery. The sun was low in the west, and the river valley held pockets of golden light, casting long shadows of cows and horses in the fields.
I spent my first night at the West Dover Inn, the embodiment of New England hospitality. Yesterday was spent moving into my apartment, getting a clearer idea of my assignment, posting a few photos on Vermontime social media, and generally making myself at home.
Last night I slept with the windows open, the Deerfield river running just below. I woke around 4:30 a.m. when I thought I heard knocking at the door, but it was only a dream. I settled back in bed when birds began trilling. I enjoyed their concert for about fifteen minutes when they suddenly stopped. I wondered why, but moments later it was pouring rain. With that gentle roar in my ears, I was soon sound asleep again.
I’m going to like it here. A lot.
