Deciding to come to college down south was for several reasons and one of them was to come see and experience a different part of the country. I have now been down here in Charleston, South Carolina for a year and a half. Many people ask me what differences I see between living here and up North. So without further ado, here are the top five differences I see here in the South coming from a Massachusetts kid.

5. Get ready for a lot of Southern chains. Take a drive and you will see what I’m talking about. Sure there is Chipotle, but they also have Moes, which is actually advertised as “a Southwest grill”. If one place defined my freshman year of college, it was probably Cookout, which really doesn’t have much equivalent. It’s a BBQ-style fast food chain that fits a college student’s budget pretty well. The 99 Restaurant is replaced by places like Fatz, which is described as a “Southern Kitchen”. You can still find Dunkin Donuts here or there, but predominantly in its place on every street corner is Starbucks. Cape Cod, where I live, has maybe two Starbucks in total, while there are at least two in a five mile radius of campus down here that I know of. Waffle House is amazing and has exceeded my expectations—it totally has that diner feeling down and the fact it is 24/7 is even better. What place has that option back home? In essence, I have traded the seafood, lobster, and Surf and Turf of the Cape for the comforts of the Southern Kitchen and grill. I do miss the familiarity of the food in Massachusetts, but I would be lying if I told you I wasn’t enjoying trying all the interesting options here as well.

4. “Y’all” is fit into conversation rather seamlessly. Maybe it is just part of the Southern accent, but it’s still pretty cool to hear. This is one of the first things people think of when they think about the South up north. Everyone always asks me if I hear people say it and if it is actually a thing. To answer that question, it is something you definitely hear a lot everywhere you go, though not everyone says it.

3. Striking up random conversation with people. The people are so awesome, and that is not a dig at my fellow northerners! I can’t tell you how many people will just ask you how your day is going or smile. Spontaneous conversation is so much more likely down here, and I am always excited at the prospects of it anytime I go out somewhere.

2. Life goes at its own pace. There is a distinctly Southern feeling to everywhere you go. Growing up with the “city-mentality”, I always felt rushed and pressured by myself to get places as fast as I could, but when I got down here, I realized many people take their time and aren’t burdened by feeling like they have to always be busy. One sort of funny example I see of this is walking. I always feel like I am walking as such a brisk pace in comparison to everyone else wherever I go. This insignificant, yet telling example has caused me to take a step back and try to enjoy everything a bit more, even a casual walk.

I thought before the reveal of number one, I would do a few honorable mentions.

Because of the weather, people wear shorts and t-shirts throughout the winter. Quite the change!

There are so many more churches down here.

Part of it is being new to the area, but it’s pretty easy to get lost trying to find certain places.

Many people have never seen or experienced real snow.

The wildlife! Still waiting to see more alligators and crocodiles though.

Palm trees!

Now for the top difference I have noticed. Honestly, many things could be number one on this list, but I figured this would be a fitting top choice.

1. College Football! Wow. College football is huge around here. It’s everywhere—from the banners, to the enthusiasm, to the decals and gear, to the admirable loyalty to one’s team. Up North, and specifically in Massachusetts, college football is nowhere close to the phenomenon it is here. Part of that is region and part of that is the dedication to professional sports. But seriously, it is crazy the rivalries that are brewing around here. I have yet to pick a side and be part of the Clemson and Gamecocks rivalry, and because of its intensity, I don’t intend to! I do love it though. It’s so much fun to be around that environment and it was fun to see the excitement of Clemson winning the National Championship last year and the ensuing hysteria that followed. It will be interesting to see what happens this year.

There are so many things that I have noticed as I have made my transition to living down here for college. It has been so much fun finding these things and taking note of them. Here's to the many more I will find as I continue exploring all the South has to offer.