As a native of Massachusetts who has just been transported to Miami, Florida, there sure is a lot more culture shock to experience than one would imagine. Life in the southern states is nothing like back home in New England.
1. It is always so hot!
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The sun shines a little brighter and stronger down in the southern states and you can certainly feel the heat. It’s impossible to walk anywhere without ending up covered in sweat. Adjusting to the heat can take quite a long time.
2. Flip flops are actually a year round shoe.
Being from New England, we often break out our boots and Uggs come mid-October, but that’s not the case down south. It’s perfectly acceptable to wear your flip flops every day of the year. Turns out you can even wear them in the rain too.
3. Wearing your hair down is not an option.
Humidity is a very real thing and it never seems to go away. Your hair will frizz, and curl like you’ve never experienced. Hair products might help to a point, but your best bet is to just keep your hair up.
4. Some people really do consider 50⁰ to be cold.
I spoke with a native Floridian who explained to me that it gets “quite cold” in the winter in Florida. When I asked how cold it gets, she responded 50 degrees. I had to try really hard not to laugh at her for thinking 50 degrees is cold. Some people actually believe this to be the case.
5. Your heart still skips a beat when a stranger smiles and says hello to you.
New Englanders are often noted to be the least friendly people in the country. We purposely walk around staring at the ground to avoid speaking to people. Here people go out of their way to make eye contact and start a conversation with a stranger! It’s a bit intimidating at first, but you grow to love the southern hospitality.
6. Hills and Mountains are not a thing around here.
It’s flat everywhere you look. A professor told my class the other day that the “mountains” of Florida are about 20 feet above sea level. Last time I checked, that was not how we defined a mountain. You can see for miles unobstructed because the land is just so flat.
7. AC is a year round necessity.
In New England, we go back and forth between our heat and our AC. I don’t think anyone in the south has ever paid a heating bill because they pay for air conditioning year round. As mentioned above, it’s hot down here no matter what time of year it is.
8. When it rains, it pours.
The rain here can actually hurt. When it comes down, it comes down hard and fast. It will pour for 10 minutes straight and turn streets into rivers, then not rain a single drop the rest of the day. It’s normal to have these random rain showers each day which is why you quickly learn to take an umbrella with you everywhere you go.
9. Southern time and simple living really do exist.
I always wondered why everyone was always walking so slow to class. Turns out, I was just walking abnormally fast. Time in the south is much more lax. If class starts at 2, you can show up at 2:15 and still be on time. Life seems to move at a much slower and more relaxed pace than up north. It’s a good feeling to know everyone around is trying to relax and enjoy each day to the fullest.
10. There are no such things as seasons here.
In New England we have four distinct seasons. When it snows, we call that winter. When the leaves begin to bud and the grass grows green, that’s known as spring. The hot, sunny days are called summer. When the leaves change color and fall from the trees, that’s autumn. In the south, their seasons can best be defined as really, really hot and humid (summer), slightly less hot and humid (autumn), hot, but maybe a few days with less humidity (winter), and a bit more humidity and still hot (spring).
While life may run a little differently in the south, it still is the perfect place to make your home away from home.
