I recently took a trip up north to Delaware and drove through Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland. Because most of the travel occurred at night, several stops were made to keep from passing out at the wheel. Here is a collection of things I noticed and appreciated about those northern states.

1. Better Air Quality

It might just be because I'm from the Piedmont, and summers there are like a humid Hades, but the air up north seemed incredibly clear. I have no idea what kind of laws regarding air pollution are in place outside of NC (or in NC, for that matter), but whatever VA, WV, MY, and DE are doing, I think NC should follow along. Just like sunny days, good, clear air is energizing.

2. Travelers Are Catered To

Like I said before, I had to stop several times on my eight-hour drive. Maryland has these super cool "service areas" that fulfill several functions. First, each area is equipped with several restaurants that are laid out like a large food court. Second, these areas also have little markets for non-food related purchases. Three, they have huge bathrooms and really weird urinals (a little irrelevant, but interesting). Four, the important one, there are signs that encourage drivers to pull off to these areas to use their phones rather than texting and driving. Therefore, these areas are frequent and provide travelers with excellent pit stops.

3. Cooler Architecture

The place that comes to mind is the town of Rising Sun, MY. The theme that I have noticed in NC is suburbs, trailer parks, and mansions that are all within a mile radius of each other, which doesn't make sense. Rising Sun looks like a colonial town plucked right out of time and placed in 2018 Maryland. As someone who loves small-town life and feels like he was born in the wrong generation, Rising Sun has a very welcoming and comfortable aesthetic.

4. Sheetz

The lifeblood of northern travel: Sheetz. Personally, I think Sheetz is a little overrated and QT is the superior road trip cuisine. But when there is a Sheetz every single mile marker up north, it's impossible not to reignite my affinity for the "restaurant" or "gas station" or whatever it falls under.

5. Under-Politeness

One thing that has always fascinated me about NC and the south is that people tend to be really, really polite. After working in a supermarket, I realized that it's hard to determine the difference between feigned politeness and sincere decency. In the north, those "common decencies" of the south aren't used. While it takes the stress off of not having to be polite all the time, it's a little saddening when you smile at a stranger and they look away.