Having lived in the South since 2001, I definitely feel like this is where I belong. I grew up in Indiana and always longed to be a Southern girl! Summer in the South is extremely hot and humid, but I wouldn’t trade places with anyone who has to live through a dreary and gray Midwest winter. I love living in the South and I’m so thankful to have spent the last 16 years in Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina!
Today’s post was inspired by something my friend Whitney wrote not too long ago. She’s back in the Midwest after living here in the South for several years. She wrote a post about all the things she loves about the South, and it made me think. What would I miss if I moved away from here?
- Azaleas
- How quickly everything blooms and turns green in the spring
- Crepe Myrtles
- Living close to the Blue Ridge Mountains
- Churches on every corner
- Ice storms in January – not enough to knock out the power, but enough to keep everyone cozy at home
- Living within 3 hours of at least 3 NASCAR tracks
- Mossy trees in Charleston
- Chicken salad sandwiches
- Cream cheese with hot pepper jelly
- Our local religious TV stations that air gospel music and “down home” programming
- State fairs with outdoor country music concerts
- Mt. Airy, North Carolina
- Driving back into the mountains of Tennessee where it seems like time stands still
- Gatlinburg, Tennessee
- Having three country music radio stations to choose from
- Country music radio show hosts with fabulous Southern accents
- Listening to families interact in public, talking to each other with their Southern terms of endearment
- Asheville, North Carolina
- QT Gas Stations – specifically their $.69 peach tea and hot pretzels
- Southern Manners (although there’s not much southern grace left in many larger Southern towns, including mine, there are still plenty of small towns where people smile and say hello, wave to people driving past and who treat strangers with kindness and warmth)
- Chick Fil A
- Fresh peaches in July
- Church league softball
- Mountain views!
What do you love about where you live?
Come Home For Comfort 
Your post should be a Southern Tourism travel blog, with all of those wonderful things! 🙂 We have QT stations here, but I haven’t been able to find the peach tea. Is it sold seasonally in South Carolina or year-round?
Changing seasons is something I love about the Midwest. If I lived in just a hot or cold climate, it wouldn’t be the same. I need my fall colors and apple orchards! Village Inn restaurants are also a favorite, and I’ve been to so many for so many occasions. I know the chain has locations across the country, but it’s not too widespread. Love their breakfast offerings all day long, as well as their yummy dinners and desserts. My family and friends have made so many memories at the VI, so it holds a special place in my heart.
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Aww, thanks! Yes, peach tea is always in stock at our QT’s. I do miss the fall weather from the Midwest. Those crisp days just can’t be beat!
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I love this and love the South!! Thanks for the shout out. Those moss covered trees seem straight out of a movie. One of our favorite neighborhoods in MS had them everywhere. I also love the produce stands, all the attention on home cooked meals and comfort food as well as so many places that just ooze Southern hospitality. It’s wonderful and will always hold a special place in my heart. I swear I get teary eyed every time I start thinking about all the things I loved about Mississippi 🙂
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Aww, I’m so glad you have such fond memories of Mississippi! I’ve only ever driven through MS on my way to Louisiana. I’d love to visit Gulf Shores some day!
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Okay, I’m going to be really honest and say with as much southern politeness as possible of course ;), I dislike the South. But I live in a big city in Florida, so I think that is a lot different than what most people consider “Southern Living” and what you are describing. I miss the slow paced living, seasons, and kindness of the people in Nebraska. And bonus, NE now has Chick fil A! Anyway it was fun to read your list and I am glad that you love where you live!
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I totally get that. One of the reasons I wrote this post is due to the fact that my town is not very Southern and it irritates me! 🙂 I wanted to stop and look around, and really think about the true Southern elements that are around me.
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so fun to read your list, Whitney! ❤
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I love this post! There is nothing better than the South. Gatlinburg, Tn is my absolute favorite place to visit. I actually prefer it over the beach. I also love Mt. Airy, NC. My aunt lived there for many years. It’s such a beautiful and quaint little place. The south is just so beautiful.
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Me too, Della. I’ll take the mountains over the beach any day!
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This post is a great one! I’m a life-long Southerner (except for two years in Ohio) and I’ve thought about this a lot. I live in your same area, Whitney, and while I’ll never be a mountain-loving girl, I adore:
the beach
sweet tea
Publix staff that help me with my buggy after shopping
football in the fall
Duke’s mayonnaise
a homecooked meal from any of my friends and family — they have the best recipes!
seersucker
live oak trees (with moss or without)
gentlemen with manners — ” yes ma’am”, open doors for you
driving down 174 to Edisto Beach (the tree-covered roads), or down 17 to Beaufort (the marshland)
Pat Conroy novels
Oh, I could go on and on! Thanks for the reminder to stop and appreciate my home.
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Great list! I love Duke’s mayo too – there’s really nothing better than a tomato sandwich and Duke’s! 🙂
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Love this Whitney. Being a native southerner, I get tired of hearing people put our region down. We have lots of people from other parts of the US in the Huntsville area so in the winter time we always hear, ” You all do not know how to drive on snow.” My response to them is ” You don’t either…they had snow removal where you lived before!!” Can you tell this is my pet peeve??? I lived in Louisville, Ky for three years and I learned to drive on cleared roads which can still be tricky if you hit a patch of ice. I prefer to stay cozy at home, just as you said.:)
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Oh I forgot to put the things I love….Sweet tea, fried chicken, saying Y’all, warmer winters and beautiful mountains as well as the beach.
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We have SO many people from New York, Pennsylvania (and even Europe) here…and I hear that in the winter, too. There aren’t any medals for being able to drive in the snow so I’m really not impressed. LOL.
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Yes!!! I adore living in the south!
Sweet tea, college football, NASCAR, quiet country roads, farmland in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains, Charleston, manners, southern talk, I could go on & on.
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Yes to all of these! 🙂
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I love this post! I have many of the same sentiments about the South! I would add to my list – tractors, hay bales, old barns with quilts painted on the sides, Pals drive through, Carter Fold, clogging,..maybe I should write my own post! You’ve inspired me!
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You should! I could write a whole post just on things I love about East Tennessee, so I tried to stay a little broad with this one.
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