While my actual home in Florida is only eight hours away from Appalachian State University (where I go to school), it's crazy how different the two states are. I say it almost every single time I make the drive to and from school, but it really feels like you're transporting between two different countries. Most of my friends at school are originally from North Carolina, and it's always interesting to see what they have to say about their native state. I feel like I've become way more educated on the state, but I've also learned some of the weirdest things about North Carolina.

North Carolina sells a soda called Cheerwine

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I'm usually not a big soda person, but I had to try Cheerwine when I saw it in my dining hall for the first time. I remember being extremely confused because I had thought I had heard of every soda possible, but I was wrong. My friends made me try it, thinking I would fall in love with it. If I'm being honest, it's just like any other soda to me. But, I think it's cool that North Carolina keeps it to themselves.

High Point is known as the furniture capital of the world

Weird flex, but it's still an interesting fact about North Carolina. I've heard way too many things about the city of High Point. From it being the furniture capital of the world, to it having one of the snootiest colleges in the country, I feel like it's a place I totally have to see to believe.

Krispy Kreme was founded in Winston-Salem

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Just because I'm a huge doughnut lover, I think this is so COOL. I don't know where the first Krispy Kreme store specifically is, but I definitely want to check it out. I might be more of a Dunkin' girl than Krispy Kreme, (sorry if that offends you, just true facts) I still think North Carolina is totally winning with founding some of the best glazed doughnuts you'll ever have.

There's a ton of colleges in the UNC system

This was one of the most confusing things to me when I first got here for school. As most of us probably know, there is the University of North Carolina (at Chapel Hill), also known as UNC to the rest of the country, AKA a basketball powerhouse. I thought UNC just stood alone when it came to its name. But no, I learned there are a TON of schools that start with UNC. Think of any somewhat populated city in North Carolina, and it probably has a a college with a UNC in front of it. For example, I learned there is a UNC Asheville, UNC Greensboro, UNC Wilmington, and even a UNC Charlotte, and all the public school in NC are part of the UNC system. I don't know if this is a thing in other states, but keep doing what you're doing North Carolina.

Everyone is usually from a tiny city, but they just say they're from a large city

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When I say there are an endless amount of small North Carolina cities, I mean it. I've driven through parts of North Carolina before, and these small towns are tiny. Most of the time, when someone says they are from Charlotte, for example, only 1% of people actually mean that. They might be from Harrisburg, Matthews, or Davidson, but they never tell you that unless you ask. The same goes for towns around Raleigh and Winston-Salem.