I am a St. Louis girl bred from two southern parents. My dad is from Arkansas and my mother is from Tennessee (well, actually my mom was born is the Chicago area and lived there until she was 13). I myself was born in Tennessee and lived there until I was five. My point in all this is that I am from a mix of regions. I was born is the South, grew up in the Midwest, (Missouri) and now reside in a different area of the Midwest, (Illinois). And with the fact that I am slowly moving up in the United States' geography, I have noticed a few key differences between myself and my Illinois, born and raised, classmates.

1. Using slang not accustomed to the region

I have noticed that there are several words which I use in my normal vocabulary that people in Chicago just don't. One example being the word "cattywampus" which means discombobulated or out of order. This is a word I've picked up from both my parents, and my time in the South, and is one that I've had to explain the meaning of multiple times.

2. Rooting for different sports teams

I, a St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis Blues fan, live in a sea of Chicago Cubs and Chicago Blackhawks fans. I'm not so much a fan that I spark up unnecessary rivalries with my neighbors, but I don't share in their excitement when one of their teams wins big (i.e. the Cubs winning the 2016 World Series. I couldn't care less).

3. Using separate words for the same things

One I've noticed is the words for athletic shoes. I hear a lot of Chicagoans use the words "gym shoes." In St. Louis, I hear "sneakers" and "tennis shoes." I personally say tennis shoes or athletic shoes (the latter being the curse of having worked at Famous Footwear).

4. Accents

Well, there's things such as pronouncing Chicago as "Chicaago" as opposed to "Chicogo." In STL, an accent is featured that pronounces wash as "warsh" and forty as "farty" and, this one I do sometimes myself: quarter as "quwarter".

5. Knowing about different politicians

If you asked me who a representative from Illinois is I would sadly have a difficult time telling you, but if you asked me about one from Missouri I could give you an immediate list such as Claire McCaskill or Chris Koster or Jay Nixon.

6. Considering different famous people from your hometown

There are many actors from Missouri that I love to brag about such as Jenna Fisher (Pam from "The Office"), John Goodman, David Giuntoli (Nick from "Grimm), Jon Hamm, Ellie Kemper (Kimmy from "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt"), and Sean Gunn (Kurt from "Gilmore Girls"). However, if I were to think of Jennifer Hudson or John Malkovich or Kanye West and the fact that they are all from Illinois, I would consider it interesting and then move on.

7. Thinking drastically changing weather is a unique feature of the specific region

Before I moved to Chicago, I was totally guilty of this. Missouri weather changes rapidly, not only day to day, but hour to hour, but really, this is true for Illinois and Tennessee and I'm sure other places. It can be 70 degrees one day and 30 the next. It happens.