When I first moved back up North after living in the South for more than 10 years, I was surprised by the level of mockery I received just because of where I was from. Suddenly, it wasn't OK to say y'all, and people looked at me strangely when I called them ma'am or sir. When anyone heard I was from the South, they looked at me with a mixture of pity and revulsion, and I didn't understand. It was then I realized that in many parts of the country, being from the South has a negative connotation. But why? It's a beautiful place I was proud to have lived in. Here are 11 common misconceptions about the South.

1. We're all hicks.

Contrary to popular belief, not everyone from the South only has a handful of teeth and wears overalls 365 days of the year.

2. It's always hot.

Yes, the summers in the South are hotter than you'd believe, but we do, in fact, get snow. School is almost always cancelled if so much as a snowflake touches the ground, but the temperature most definitely drops below freezing on most days during the winter.

3. Nobody is educated.

Somewhere along the line, the southern accent became synonymous with low intelligence, but in fact, many of the best universities in the country can be found in the South.

4. We only eat fried food.

We love our fried foods, but you can find salad and fruit on just about every menu, too.

5. We're behind the times.

The South certainly has a reputation for being more traditional than other parts of the country, but we also do a good job keeping up-to-date with current events.

6. We're close-minded.

Some of the kindest and most accepting people can be found below the Mason Dixon Line.

7. We're inbred.

We do not marry our cousins.

8. We only listen to country music.

It may be a little more common to hear some twang down here, but I can show you dozens of people who can rap with the best of them.

9. We all live on farms.

There's plenty of fertile land down South, but there are plenty of large cities, too. Not all of us know how to grow our own food.

10. We're all racists.

No.

11. We should be ashamed of where we come from.

The South is a land of hospitality, culture and good food, and every single day I find myself grateful I was lucky enough to grow up there.