the (typical, of my peers) work/life balance in vermont couldn't be any more different than the (typical, of my peers) work/life balance in manhattan. my life back in new york was becoming increasingly off-kilter, so it felt good to slow things down for the week and sit for endless hours on floral fabric blankets by lake champlain. even our barefoot walks on the quiet, broken-pavement sidewalks seemed worlds away. we woke up late, drank strong coffee, ate local food and hula-hooped. this trip was, as i imagined it would be, good for the soul.