Everyone knows that there are distinct differences between the North and South. As an 18-year-old girl moving to the South for college, I wish I had looked into these differences prior to having a huge culture shock. However, fast forward a year later, and I realize it's not hard to become accustomed to these differences. Here are some things you should know before getting down South:
- Make sure you're saying ma’am and sir.
As you know, in the North calling someone “ma’am” or “sir” is taken as sarcastic or offensive. By calling a waitress “ma’am” or a father “sir,” you’re basically mocking their authority. However, in the South it is extremely disrespectful to not answer with “yes ma’am,” “no ma’am,” “yes sir,” or “no sir” to anyone, really. I know it feels awkward saying at first, but you'll get used to it. - You're going to move slower.
I don’t know what it is about the North, but we tend to always be in some sort of a hurry. We don’t take our time to do anything - driving, eating, walking, etc. In the South, you're allowed to relax or taking your time. Give yourself double the time to do something, because that’s how long everyone else will take. - You may have a style adjustment.
This one is mostly for the ladies. It's time to purchase a pair of Mumus and a pair of Jack Rogers. You'll immediately have to make the switch from tight dresses to sun dresses, 6inch pumps to cowgirl boots, jean shorts to Norts (Nike shorts), fitted tshirts to oversized tshirts, and straight hair to curly hair. Oh, and you may want to start monogramming all of your stuff- just sayin'. - Southern food may or may not be your best friend.
Say goodbye to good pizza, diners, fresh sandwiches, and for the Jerseyans, pork roll. Rather than going to your local Italian deli for lunch, get ready to make the tough choice between Chipotle, Chick-Fil-A, and Bojangles. Your typical meals may include sweet tea, queso, peaches, grits, or friend chicken. But don’t worry - with the exception of grits, I think all southern food is delicious. - You always have to defend the North.
Having lived in both the North and the South, I find myself always defending the North when I’m in the South, and always defending the South when I’m in the North. You’re going to get constant grief from southerners about being northern. They believe the North is filled with nothing else but passive-aggressive rude people, an endless supply of factories and air pollution, and regularly three feet of snow. - You will say "y'all."
I’ll be the first to admit - "y'all" is extremely easy to pick up on after just a few weeks, because it is a lot simpler and quicker to say than “you guys.” Just remember: “y’all” is singular, “all y’all” is plural, and “all y’all’s” is plural possessive. - The humidity sucks.
Rather than long winters and short summers, in the South you get long summers and short winters... how great does that sound?! Initially awesome, but just wait until you're down there, and you can’t even walk from your house to your car in the 100 degree weather without breaking a sweat. Believe me, I love warm weather as much as the next person, and I couldn’t wait to get out of the cold; but instead of facing blizzards, be prepared to face scorching heat waves.
