From the warm sunshine, to the classic sweet tea (especially those gargantuan free refills at Sonny’s BBQ), the south is undeniably lovable. No matter what area of the state you are in, nature and culture have something beautiful and adventurous to offer you, but that does not mean you should take your home for granted.

If you’re from New England, like me, moving down south is a drastic change that can be both thrilling and emotional. You begin to miss little characteristics of your home that you never knew you could genuinely yearn for. Additionally, each time your visit home comes to an end, it gets harder and harder to say goodbye to the beautiful north.

If you are planning on moving south or if you already have, here is what you cannot take for granted:

1. Maple Syrup Culture

I still do not know the difference between Grade A and Grade B, but I know a nice shade of amber when I see one. I cannot fathom a New England household without at least a half pint, if not a gallon of real maple syrup in their fridge, and if a restaurant does not offer real maple syrup as an alternative to that fake stuff, they might lose a customer or two. Readers, please do not assume that I am exaggerating for humorous effects. “The real stuff” is no joke where I come from. It is so much more than a grocery store item – it is a product of our neighbors and communities, and like the southerners and their sweet tea, we cannot live without our real maple syrup.

2. The Seasons

Each September when the world becomes crisp and orange, you define special times like Halloween and Thanksgiving by the creeping coldness, crunchy piles of leaves in the backyard, the smell of bonfires suddenly on your walk through the pumpkin patch hills, and blue skies fading into grey. To ease the pain of not being able to experience this year’s autumn, have your mom send you a large envelope stuffed with fallen leaves of purple, red, yellow and orange.

Come December, the first snow will have graced the lands. With winter afoot, you can expect red noses and white everything else. Watching the snowflakes fall will bring you peace within if you let it. And when the dead grass and pale world are suddenly and purely white, you feel refreshed to take on the unforgiving freezing temperatures. But before you do, you get to bundle up in all the blankets you own and sip on your favorite hot beverage.

Then mild spring crawls out of its burrow and lets New England glow with fresh color once more. Being cooped up inside for the past few months, nothing feels better than sitting down on the reborn grass to enjoy a picnic under the gentle sun again.

I cannot say what it is about the changing seasons that bring such fond and nostalgic feelings, but I can tell you that they are cherished. When one cannot have their water-colored leaves, fluffy snow and freshly bloomed flowers, the world doesn’t seem so peacefully balanced anymore.

3. Uncomplicated roadways

What is this?

I just need to take a left right here – why do I have to drive five more blocks to make a u-turn? Please can we just have two-lane roads back in our lives?

Ah, that’s better…

4. Hills and Mountains

Even though we had to run up and down them throughout high school sports practices, we still love them. What is it about seeing a rising and sloping horizon that brings about such peace of mind? Better yet, the challenge of hiking up a mountain to reach the peak takes you to places you thought were untouchable. The view from atop a mountain, with its sister hills like fog on the horizon and the known world like pebbles below, is a treasure that you will never want to abandon.

*Bonus: Climb a mountain in autumn, and the foliage will render you speechless.

5. The Big-E

New Englanders know how to throw a fair. Held in Springfield, Massachusetts, the fairgrounds are roughly one square mile and contain everything you could ever imagine being at a fair. The exposition is host to six state buildings (one to represent businesses and vendors from each New England state); five building complexes displaying animals, artisans, vendors, and businesses; a coliseum for horse, bull, sheep dog and ox shows; an outdoor colonial village museum; carnival rides; a carnival food walk; a plethora of other shops and exhibits; and a concert arena where big names such as Reba McEntire and Alan Jackson have performed during the two-week event. Not being able to take that annual adventure through the fairgrounds with your family anymore is a great loss.

6. Snow days

They basically indicate the obligation to stay in bed. Is there a better feeling in the world than knowing all classes are cancelled?

When New England is home, there is no end to the list of everything you will miss dearly. It was a blessing to have grown up there, and it is a blessing to experience life in the south. New England, no matter where in the world our wanderlust takes us, you will always be our OG (Original Gangster), and we will always come home to you.