Like many others living in the South, I'm not originally from around here. I'm originally from New Jersey. I am one of the thousands of Northerner who moved from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and so on. Sometimes it feels like I never moved away because there is so much familiarity around me. However, I have grown to love the South and it's many lessons.

Lesson #1: Chik-fil-a is the best.

It was not until I moved to North Carolina that I discovered the magical thing known as Chik-fil-a. At first I was very skeptical, what was so great about a chicken sandwich? That was until I met up with a group of friends after school one day. It was the overall feeling as soon as you walk in that makes you realize that it was going to be a good experience. The customer service is unlike any other, even though at first it did take me a second for the person behind the counter was actually being nice. And the whole “my pleasure” sends it up to a whole other level.

Lesson#2: Simply Southern shirts are always in.

You know you’ve seen them. The Simply Southern shirts that all southern belles have that say “You had me at Y’all” or they have animals on the back like a crab or a seahorse. I am the exact opposite so these shirts at first were repugnant to me. Although after my mom had bought me one did I realize how comfortable they were. They are such a popular item and so many people have them that they can literally never go out of style.

Lesson #3: Football Friday Nights don’t get any better.

If you’ve seen the movie Friday Night Lights you know exactly what I’m talking about. Here in the South, we live that. During the fall, every single person in the community is at a game and if you aren’t it’s kind of weird. I love being able to go every Friday night, not only in support of my school, but you get such a feeling of community being together with everyone around you.

Lesson#4: Not everyone listens to country music.

I will admit, I was one of those people that thought that everyone down South listened to country music. For me it was a relief as I too listen to country music. However, I soon discovered that there is so many different genre scenes down here. I got in with a group of friends who introduced me to the indie/alternative scene and it was much bigger than I had ever expected. It also is a lot of fun to go into the city and enjoy a concert.

Lesson#5: Sweet tea. End of Story.

There is not much more to say than sweet tea is God’s blessing upon this earth. Don’t get me wrong I do enjoy a glass of regular ice tea but there is nothing like a fresh glass of homemade sweet tea that can be enjoyed any time of the year and looks good in a glass.