I moved from the South to Vermont. Here are the 9 things that surprised me the most.

• After spending most of my life in Alabama and South Carolina, I moved to Vermont.
• I knew it would be cold, but I was still unprepared for the snowstorms and biting temperatures.

I've lived in Alabama and South Carolina for most of my life, so I consider myself a Southerner through and through.

But in January, my fiancée got an opportunity to work as a traveling CNA at Vermont's local hospitals. So, we packed our bags and moved halfway across the country to the Northeast.

Here are nine things that surprised me about living in Vermont.

We were unprepared for the heavy snow and cold temperatures

My fiancée and I moved to Berlin — a small town in central Vermont — in the dead of winter. To this Southerner, it felt a bit like visiting the North Pole.

January is Vermont's coldest month most years. When we showed up in our rear-wheel-drive Dodge Challenger, we knew we weren't prepared for the low-digit (and sometimes sub-zero) temperatures. The cold sliced through my winter coat within seconds.

For months, the snow blanketed everything. One morning after a big storm, the snow was piled so high that it covered our car wheels.

On another occasion, I woke up to find that the locks on our car doors were all frozen solid. Eventually, I learned to spray the door hinges with vegetable oil to help keep the locks from freezing during cold nights.

The winter months can feel isolating

Unfortunately, we moved to Vermont in the middle of winter.

The piles of snow and cold weather made us want to bundle up and hibernate inside rather than explore our new surroundings.

Even though Vermont is known for its skiing and snowboarding, the low temperatures initially kept us from trying out any of the outdoor activities and sports.

Everyone in Vermont has been extremely friendly to us

The South has many stereotypes, but one of the most flattering ones is that everyone is well-mannered and nice. Conversely, Northerners are often labeled as being too busy to stop and make small talk.

I was surprised to find that everyone in Vermont has been extremely friendly and welcoming since we moved, completely obliterating the negative Northern stereotype. Whether it's a grocery clerk or a restaurant cook, everyone has seemed happy to see us.

On one snowy morning, we woke up to find our landlord plowing the yard because he realized that my fiancée had to be at work by 7 a.m. and didn't want her to have trouble leaving.

Knowing that extreme-weather conditions and winter storms can make the roads hazardous for driving, he still offered to give us a ride if we ever needed one.

Finding housing within our budget has been a challenge

Finding a place to stay in Vermont was a hassle. Real estate is already limited in the state, especially in Berlin, a small town that's home to less than 3,000 people.

Because my fiancée's job as a traveling CNA requires her to move locations, we had to secure short-term accommodations, which proved to be extremely difficult.

We went with an Airbnb in Berlin that cost around $3,000 per month after taxes, which burnt a hole in our savings. The unit ended up being a separate apartment that was attached to our landlord's property.

After 13 weeks in Berlin, it came time to relocate further north to Burlington for my fiancée's next travel assignment.

When we were looking for a place to stay in the city — which has a population of around 45,000 people — we ran into a similar situation.

Because it was summer, a popular season to visit Burlington, there were not many rental properties available, and the small number of places that were open were very expensive.

As a result, we ended up booking an extended-stay hotel for another hefty fee.

The cost of living has been higher than we expected

Inflation and the increases in the cost of living have dominated the headlines this year, but I still don't think we anticipated just how expensive life in Vermont was going to be.

With gas prices exceeding $4 per gallon, we spend over $50 every time we fill up our tank. Our grocery trips also cost between $200 and $300 for the two of us.

According to data from the Council for Community and Economic Research's Cost of Living Index, Burlington has a higher cost of living than similarly sized cities in both Alabama and South Carolina.

Some people may call us poor budgeters, but we found it difficult to live in Vermont without spending more money on daily goods.

Vermont feels extremely remote

We technically live on the edge of the United States, with Canada just a few short hours away. But because of Vermont's landscape of deep forests and large mountains, it feels a bit like living on the edge of civilization itself.

When we got to Vermont, we realized we had to adjust to small-town life.

Berlin only has three stoplights, and though the small town does have a couple of restaurants and a Walmart, it was much more remote than we were expecting.

There were some winter days when we found it difficult to entertain ourselves.

Vermont's larger cities have more activities and things to do. However, Burlington, the state's most populous city, was a 45-minute drive from our Airbnb in Berlin, which felt long.

The lack of artificial light at night is great for stargazing but terrible for driving

Berlin was so dark at night that my fiancée and I joked that it was run by vampires.

The lack of artificial lights at night can be attributed to a couple things, like our remote location and state initiatives to protect migratory birds by limiting light pollution. It took some getting used to.

Because there were so few road reflectors and streetlamps, driving at night proved to be a terrifying experience. I can't count the number of times I parked crooked at Walmart because I couldn't see the painted lines on the ground.

There's a bright side to the darkness, though. The lack of artificial lights makes Vermont an incredible place to stargaze.

The locally produced maple is delicious, and some people pair it with kosher pickles

Vermont is the top maple producer in the US, so of course I had to visit a local maple farm.

I decided to try some homemade maple-syrup taffy, which was prepared by pouring piping hot syrup on a chunk of solid ice. The ice caused the syrup to solidify into a sugary treat.

To my surprise, the dish was served with a kosher pickle on the side. There was a method to the perceived madness; the pickle helped reset my taste buds after eating all of that sugar.

Vermont has many majestic views and natural wonders

I didn't realize how beautiful Vermont is until I got here.

All the fresh snow reminded me of Robert Frost's poetry, which makes sense considering he composed many of his classic works in Vermont. Months after moving here, I still watch the sunrise reflect on the misty mountains.

Even though living in Vermont has been a big change, I have never once regretted my decision to come all the way North.