It is known that the southeastern part of the United States has its own unique culture. After moving to Alabama from Arizona, I had to learn to adapt to this new culture. Here is a list of 14 things I found strangest about the South upon moving here.

1. Football.

This is the first and most important cultural difference between the South and the North, or the West – or, literally, anywhere else in the world. I was approached by a group of kids on my first day of school in Alabama. They could see that I was “the new kid” so I assumed they were coming over to introduce themselves. It turned out that Alabamians greet each other very differently than Arizonians.

“Are you Alabama or Auburn?” they asked me. I was confused. When I didn’t answer immediately, they asked again, “Alabama or Auburn?”

“I guess Alabama because that’s where I live now...?” I replied slowly. I didn’t know what an Auburn was, but I lived in Alabama now, so it seemed like the safe choice. They had to be for Alabama too because that’s the state, right?

“You live in Tuscaloosa?" Uh-oh, maybe I chose wrong. Was that somewhere near Birmingham? Was there some sort of rivalry between the two towns? I had no idea, but I had to answer before half of the group started chasing me with pitchforks.

“I’m...for... Birmingham,” I stuttered, trying to clarify. They un-furrowed their brows, and I relaxed. Now, we were communicating.

“Oh, so UAB?”

Guess not. Frustration and confusion caused me to blurt out my next words. "What language are you speaking?" They were equally confused.

“Um, football," one of them said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. The conversation finally made sense. We were talking about interests! I still wasn’t sure how the conversation had come immediately to football, but I was glad that I could finally clear things up.

"Oh," I said, “I don’t watch football.” They left. I made no friends that year.

In other states, football is a sport. In Alabama, football is a religion. Everyone has their team that determines the colors of their wardrobe, the type of stuffed animal that they buy for their kids, the names of their pets (sometimes children), and which people they like or hate. Children do not pretend to be knights in shining armor in their games. They pretend to be college football players. It is fascinating. Football also determines everyone’s schedules. Events are planned before or after the game. For example, this year in Auburn, “trick or treating” was not done on Halloween because there was a football game.

But wait, it gets crazier. Eighty-seven thousand people attend the game in the stadium. CNN estimates that 20,000 people drive to Auburn without ever intending to go to the game. People drive for hours just to sit on their team’s campus and watch the game on a television. Locals call it tailgating. This phenomena starts a few days before the game. White tents begin to appear throughout campus. Traffic gets heavier. Alumni stare from every corner, pointing students out to their children as if we are a tourist attraction. Football in the south is a huge and glorious event.

2. Fried everything.

Upon moving to Alabama, I discovered that chicken wasn’t the only thing that could be fried. Southerners have the unique ability to be able to fry anything, including pickles and Oreos. And, might I add, it is delicious.

3. Church.

If the first question someone asks you is “Alabama or Auburn,” the second question is “where do you go to church.” The third question is “what is your name.” Everyone, or at least the majority of a person’s family, goes to church in the South. Some go because they are in love with the Lord. For others, it is simply part of the culture. I’ve found that church is filled with some of the best and worst people you will ever meet.

4. Sweet tea.

By the way people talk about this glorified sugar water, you would think that it was the nectar of the gods. Walk into any restaurant in the south and you will see two giant metal drink dispensers. One is for sweet tea, and the other is for unsweet tea. Southerners will sit down at their table after retrieving their sweet tea and exchange horror stories of visits to the north, where the restaurants not only did not offer sweet tea, but also did not know what it was. Listeners will shiver and say “bless their hearts.”

5. Grits.

After almost seven years of living here, there is one thing that still confuses me: grits. Seriously, what are these things? For those who have never seen grits, they are what appears to be a thick, white sludge served in a bowl for breakfast. Also, there is no singular for the word “grits.” They are sometimes served with cheese mixed in. Others will mix bacon bits and other things in, but be careful. Some people take serious offense to messing with the grits recipe.

6. Mac and cheese is a vegetable.

First of all, it is not “macaroni and cheese.” It is “mac and cheese.” And it is a vegetable. Don’t ask me why. This is the only southern cultural difference that I never questioned. If someone tells me that I can consider a yummy, cheesy noodle dish a vegetable, I am not going to tell them otherwise.

7. Every soda is a Coke.

I’m 13 again, and I’m ordering a restaurant. My server asks me what kind of coke I want and looks at me like I’ve sprouted a third eyeball when I reply “diet.” They ask me, “a diet what?” Um... Coke? I was unaware that the dialect for a soda was different in this strange land. Some regions say pop, others say soda, and in the South, everything is a coke. A Coke is a kind of coke. A Sprite is also a kind of coke.

8. Gigantic trucks.

People drive enormous pickup trucks, sometimes with a giant fishing pole looking thing sprouting from the bed so it looks more like a giant remote control car. The equestrian in me thought that possibly many people rode horses and needed a huge car to be able to haul. However, most of these giant trucks do not haul anything. They are just sort of there – wasting their potential.

9. Fixin.’

You are not “going to” do something. You are “fixin’ to” do something.

10. Humidity.

I could withstand temperatures of over 120 degrees of dry heat. I had a heat stroke in the South, in 90 degree weather. There is so much water in the air here that is a miracle Southerners have not yet sprouted gills to be able to breathe.

11. Sir and ma’am.

Every southerner uses these terms as a sign of respect when speaking to someone older or higher in authority.

12. If you are not from the Southeast, you are Northern.

Yup, even if your state is the same distance south as Alabama, just on the opposite side of the States. You are Northern.

13. Hills are mountains.

While I see a green hill, Southerners see a glorious mountain.

14. People greet strangers.

I would be walking around the neighborhood in the morning, and a person would pass me, wave, and say “good morning.” It was crazy. However, this is actually common. Southerners are very friendly, and will talk to anyone, even complete strangers.

These are just a few of the cultural differences I had to grow accustomed to upon moving to the South. Through the years, the things I found strangest are the things I’ve learned to love the most. Now, I too will enjoy the glass of glorified sugar water, overuse sir and ma’am and greet strangers as I pass by. And as far as football goes, you can find me cheering on my boys, covered in a layer of paint, in the front row of Jordan-Hare. War eagle.