To start, let's establish one thing: Northern Virginia is not the south. Yes, it's below the Mason Dixon line, but ask anyone from Virginia and they'll tell you that NOVA is basically DC with better schools. Southern Virginians say NOVA isn't "the REAL Virginia" and Northern Virginians start Change.org petitions to secede and become the 51st state. Northern Virginia is basically untouched by Southern culture.

So when I decided to go to school 7 hours away in Asheville, North Carolina, there were quite a lot of things that caught me off guard.

1. People like the outdoors. Like, a lot.

I live right outside of DC. Sure, it's pretty, but we're not exactly known for our scenic landscapes. There's not much to do outdoors. So when I got here and everyone wanted to go on hikes, my out of shape self was not down for it. North Carolina, and Asheville in particular, is known for its beautiful mountains and lakes and waterfalls.

Peoples' idea of fun here involves a nice hike up Pisgah and setting up a tent in one of the hundreds of camp grounds. I've become a little more active since moving here, but I still sound like an asthmatic grandfather every time I hike.

2. Lol what's Cookout

During the first week of my freshman year, some of my friends from my orientation group suggested we all take a trip to Cookout that weekend. My first response was to ask, "Who's having a cook out?"

Spoiler alert: the answer was nobody.

The first time I went to Cookout was magical. I've never been to any other fast food place where you can get a whole ass corndog as a side. And all those milkshake flavors? Fosters Grille can suck it. Now whenever I'm drunk at 3am, all I want is chicken tenders with a side of hushpuppies and fries and an Oreo milkshake.

3. Southern hospitality is real and it's weird

I spent 18 years of my life avoiding eye contact with everyone I see on the street because that's just what you do up north. Strangers don't talk to you. Even people you went to school with for 13 years probably won't acknowledge the fact that you're in the same grocery store.

When people say that everyone in the south is friendly, they don't exaggerate. Strangers smile at me in the street every time I go out. Random people will stop me on my way to get ice cream just to compliment my outfit. The first time an old man came up to me and started telling me about how the pizza shop across the street used to be a gas station, I had my phone at the ready to dial 911.

After almost 3 years of living in Asheville, I've just started to smile back at people.

4. Chacos are ugly but that doesn't stop anyone

This is a small one but one thing I still can't get over: chacos.

Everyone here has a pair. Some have two. Some people only wear chacos. I'd never even heard of them before I moved here, so I don't own a pair. And I never will, no matter how comfortable they are.

Those things are UGLY.

5. The south isn't all that bad

Everyone knows the south can get a bad rep sometimes. It's too hot, it's full of illiterate racists, everyone drinks moonshine and does meth, etc.. I hate to admit that was the image of the south I had when I first moved down here. But in the almost 3 years since I've moved here, I've met some of the kindest, smartest, most progressive people I've ever known. Especially in a town like Asheville, there's tons of people who defy the negative southern stereotypes. I wouldn't want to go to school anywhere else.

And trust me, you can find plenty of racist meth heads up north too.