Snow-covered ski slopes, autumn weddings during peak foliage, and summer trips spent visiting family regularly beckoned college sweethearts Emily and Evan Oleson back to Vermont from their home in Connecticut. Emily grew up in Vermont and had hoped to one day return full time after college, medical school, and residency were completed. As soon she was done with her medical training, the call to return to the Green Mountain State permanently was too loud to ignore. 

“Vermont has always been a special place for us and one where we wanted to live, especially when we were raising kids,” said Emily. “When we were thinking about where we wanted to raise them, Vermont was top of the list. The connection to nature through outdoor recreation and local food production, as well as the close-knit, caring communities were what most attracted us to the state.” The Olesons now have two children under three years old and the whole family enjoys exploring and settling into their new community. 

The family arrived in Danville in 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. At a time when healthcare jobs were in high demand, Emily, a family physician, had finished residency training and secured a role practicing full spectrum primary care at a federally qualified health center in Vermont. Having recently completed a master’s program, Evan was on board to start a new chapter with their family in the Northeast Kingdom and the two set out to put the relocation wheels in motion. 

While researching towns and scouring real estate listings, the Olesons came across the Worker Relocation Grant Program. Working in an essential occupation qualified Emily for the grant. The couple turned their sights from renting an apartment and put the grant funds toward purchasing a home and putting down roots faster than they would have without the incentive. “The incentive made it feel a little safer and more affordable for us to take the plunge and purchase a home in the midst of the health crisis,” Emily said. “It felt like the state was behind us and it was nice to feel like we had that support.” 

Committing to a location allowed the Olesons to focus on integrating the family into their new community. While Emily settled into her demanding new role, Evan got the kids settled into daycare, connected with local professionals, and started exploring volunteer opportunities. He has since joined the Danville volunteer fire department and the board of a nonprofit outdoor recreation organization. He  now works at the Northern Forest Center in community development on issues such as workforce housing and  attracting and retaining young families and workers to the region.  

“We both found workplaces that are a good fit and got settled in quickly at a time when we couldn’t be as openly engaged in our communities as we might have liked to,” Evan said about relocating during a global health emergency. “It was an odd time to move into a new community, but we felt really welcomed even through the health and safety measures that were in place at the time,” he reflected.  

“Our neighbors were our main avenue into making friends and they often invited us to tag along and meet people. We also participated in the welcome wagon program, which has a robust presence in the Northeast Kingdom. That provided additional connections and helped us navigate some of the questions we had as newcomers.”  

Through the Vermont Welcome Wagon Project, the Olesons connected with several local families for video calls and walks on the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail and learned about where to shop and dine, nearby activities, and the things that make the community special. 

“It also helped to read stories about how other folks have moved to the state and made it work for them,” Evan said, “and now I’m grateful my family can be part of that story for others to hear.”