I returned to Randolph and turned in my two-week notice. It was time to move on!

Samantha agreed that I had done what I came to do in Randolph. We were stronger than ever and I could see from her too, that she believed it was time for me to open a new chapter in Vermont. The brewery would be sad to see me go and I promised to keep in touch with a few students at Vermont Tech, but we all know how that goes.

On Wednesday nite, Samantha and I poured over the map of Vermont. At this particular time, I was looking for an oasis. Not necessarily somewhere where I had to be productive, but rather somewhere where I could commune with nature. I needed a respite; a place to collect my thoughts. I decided on Beecher Falls,Vermont. Located in the clear northeast corner of Vermont, this small town would be my hideaway for the next undisclosed period of time.

I got in the Jetta on Saturday morning and began driving. It was only a little over a two-hour drive; well, maybe closer to three with pit stops, but I made it into town around noon. Named after a manufacturing company in the 1880's that took advantage of the falls for for the mill, I knew immediately that this place had history. The question was, "What was history going to teach me here in Beecher Falls?"

I was also located just south of the Canadian Border. While my "wrestling match" was with myself and Vermont, I felt sure that there was something across the border that deserved my attention as well. I had made good money at the brewery to add to my savings, so I decided to splurge my first day in Essex County. I booked a two-nite stay at The Essex. Here I would have all the amenities I needed for a few days to relax and clear my head.

By 3:00 I had booked a massage and dinner would be at 7:00. Sunday morning I would sleep in, and in the afternoon I would make my plans for my respite in Beecher Falls.