Being from Virginia is weird when it comes to the northern versus southern debate. All signs point to Virginia identifying itself as a southern state. Located below the Mason Dixon Line and fighting with the Confederacy during the Civil War (which obviously isn't a good thing but history is history) should make it obvious. But for me, I've never considered my home state as being anything but the north.
Virginia has everything from cities and beaches to mountains and caverns depending on where you look and, because of the stark differences between all of these locations, it really is up to each individual to make the decision of northern versus southern themselves. Everyone is unique and their experiences growing up tend to shape who they are and how they represent themselves to the world. As for me, I'm a NOVA (Northern Virginia) girl through and through. And while the rest of Virginia may be a part of the south, NOVA will always be a part of the north. In fact, NOVA residents tend to consider themselves separate from the rest of Virginia.
Honestly, it makes sense. Whenever I'm asked where I'm from, especially in classes where it seems introductions are always necessary, I say "Northern Virginia." As if it's its own state. Before writing this article I asked one of my friends (a Chicago native) if they considered Virginia a southern state. She answered, "Where you're from (aka NOVA), absolutely not. The rest of Virginia, definitely." It just so happened that a friend of ours, also from NOVA, was on facetime during this and commented: "We are not southern and most NOVA/DC residents don't even like being called that." Honestly, he's not wrong. Our specific piece of Virginia likes to hold onto and sometimes boast that we are not part of the south.
Moving to Tuscaloosa and attending The University of Alabama, I meet people from all over the United States on a daily basis and I've found that, when surrounded by so many different individuals, you start to think about things like this more. College is when you can really begin to grow and figure out who you are and what you believe. And, one of the easiest things to start with is northern or southern. Most kids from southern states usually don't count me as one of them, however, a boy from Alabama, southern as one can get, told me confidently that Virginia was definitely a southern state but I was not much of a southern girl. I believe he's got that right.
It's too easy to start comparing life in the south versus life in the north. Sometimes there really is a cultural divide. For instance, one thing I know for sure, no matter how long I stay in the south is that I will never ever use the word "buggy" to mean shopping cart. It is a cart used for shopping … shopping cart. However, in the end, we're all students of The University of Alabama and that's something we can all happily identify as. And, no matter what other people may think, I will always proudly distinguish myself as a northerner.
I'm not sure if any other people from any other states have this identity crisis as well but the debate of whether Virginia is northern or southern, I believe, will always be up to each person who calls it home.
