Don't fight it. Let it happen. Here are eight things about the great city of Charleston, S.C. that will have you willing to pack up your life and join the rest of us who can't seem to stop sharing articles about it.
Being a part of a campus that truly loves its city, College of Charleston students are always guilty of blowing up your newsfeed (myself very much included). Most of the time, the articles they post are full of reasons to get your butt down here, and actually see what all the hype is about. The city speaks for itself, but that's not the point. The point is that instead of telling you all the reasons to come, I'm going to predict why, when you visit, you'll fall in love and never want to leave.
Human motivation to work out (harder, better, faster, stronger).
Running downtown on the way to the gorgeous battery should be motivation enough. For those of us who need that extra push to make our struggling-to-keep-up-with-your-friend-while-telling-a-funny-story power walk into a good-as-it's-going-to-get-yet-controlled jog there are notoriously attractive students to take in. For most of us, any variation of the following stream of thoughts occurs while trying to take advantage of the lovely Charleston air.
"Its so nice out, I think I might actually walk, jog or run... Maybe I should just warm up with a fast walk. They say it burns more calories, right?... Dang, how am I already out of breath? Shoot! Here comes those (insert favorite frat name) I met at the last mixer... Crap, crap, crap. I couldn't look more unattractive and I'm not even going fast!... If I started going faster, then the amount I'm sweating wouldn't seem unnatural, right?... Okay, good plan... Wtf do I do with my hands?... Here they come. Be cool... Soft smile; head nod as you pass... Solid work... Ooh! One of them checked me out... See, I knew I could act athletic... Now that I'm jogging I might as well keep going because you best believe I won't be able to start again if I stop."
So when it comes down to it, we, as a ridiculously attractive student body, are just here to help you work on your form.
Giving directions to tourists.
Bear with me, here. Although our charismatic city has been known to become overrun with tourists, we forget that we were all tourists, once upon a time. This, plus the satisfaction of being viewed as a local, will boost your sense of self-worth more than you would expect.
Be warned, though, because while in the midst of being completely flattered by this visitor's unsuspecting (and maybe slightly misguided) trust in you as a human compass, you run the risk of steering these poor souls into the projects instead of "that cute coffee shop with the lavender thing."
Highly developed body-weaving skills.
So you're watching Netflix -- possibly, an intense episode of "House of Cards" or an emotional one from "Grey's Anatomy." There are 12 minutes left in the episode. Your class starts in 20 minutes. It takes you almost exactly eight minutes to get to class. You do the math -- perfect.
But, wait -- what you forget to calculate is the extra minute and a half that it takes you to scramble for your only working pen, calculator and heavy AF textbook before you can leave (I realize that in theory you should have already had your bag ready to go, but I'm not your mother, so let's be real).
In your flawless system there is no room for error. And by error, I mean the impossibly casual strollers that always seem to walk shoulder to shoulder (don't even get me started on people who walk their bikes on the sidewalk -- ain't nobody got time for that). Fear not, because through days of trial and error and a few tardies you, my friend, will have mastered the art of cutting through crowds -- which is a tactic you'll use for the rest of your life.
Break dancers at the market.
I think it's safe to say that everyone has passed by a street artist of sorts. Whether they were making those sick skylines out of cans and spray paint, or playing their bongo drums, public performers provide you with a little bit of color to an everyday routine. But these break dancers at the market -- I'll admit that it's a tourist trap, but I still find myself transfixed by this group of guys that do this every Saturday. Rain or shine, these boys get out there, shakin' that rump, spinning on their heads and flipping over an ungodly number of people. Without fail, these B-boys transport me back into a Beastie Boys music video with every downrock and freeze (okay, so maybe I looked up breakdancing terminology -- like, you were never curious).
Endless cute date ideas.
Although I could make a list -- strolling through the farmer's market, Riverdogs game, coffee shop hopping, pick any restaurant, playing hookey for the beach -- it truly is endless, so I won't even try.
In the city that was chosen as the backdrop for "The Notebook," it's no wonder we have romantic settings for any, and all, lovebirds. That is, of course, if you have a special someone to do these things with. Even if not, go do cute things with your roommates, or just a group of friends.
If you are lucky enough to snag one of the wonderful southern men who know how to get a girl to "go steady," first of all -- props. Secondly, just start exploring this wonderful city because you truly can't go wrong.
Children and dogs of Second Sunday.
It happens every second Sunday of the month and, like clockwork, the entire city just becomes freaking adorable. I mean, just look at these pictures! Enough said.
Making the most of notorious floods.
A wise Charlestonian once told me, "Invest in some well-made, tall, rain boots." Well, I say, who needs rainboots if you can swim.
Flooding. It happens. Get over it. This ain't called the low country for no reason.
The incredibly special thing about this place is that we epitomize the whole purpose behind Luke Bryan's "Rain Is a Good Thing." We do this by keeping kayaks handy so that we can paddle to a friend's house, always wear a darker colored shirt when there's a chance of showers (because wearing white when you can see that storm rolling in just isn't classy) and, most importantly, by fully appreciating the water sports kids that can be seen riding the wake behind a truck.
Charleston is a walking town. But our best characteristic is that we are easily transformed into a swimming town (and, yes, that is Kevin Spacey enjoying the beautiful Charleston weather without one care).
The simple act of opening doors.
Being a born and raised Texan, I'm very accustomed to many southern charms (pun intended) that make living south of the Mason Dixon line so great. One thing that struck me once I got to Charleston happened to be that people will go out of their way to open and hold doors for you. I've known some to look over their shoulder, see that you are 20 paces behind them, and hurry up to simply let you walk ahead. Such a simple gesture will have you striving to pay it forward and will leave you so grateful that you decided to stick around.
Take my word for it, or don't because what do I know. I'm just a girl who fell in love with a city and is blowing up your newsfeed.
ZLAM<3
