I may not consider myself a full-on Southern belle, but I am from the south and have grown accustomed to some traits characteristic of southerners. I was born in Augusta, Georgia and have lived there all 18 years of my life. Though my family is actually from New Jersey, most of my closest relatives live in Georgia as well, with a few scattered elsewhere across the country. Since the south is all I've known, it is a very big part of me. Now that I'm moving up north for college, it will be a major transition from the Southern customs and quirks I've come to know. Here's a list, in no particular order, of the top things about the South that I will miss.

1. Boiled Peanuts

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I've loved boiled peanuts for as long as I can remember. It's been a delicious snack my mother and I have often enjoyed together. Considering that boiled peanuts are a favorite among many Georgians, I do not know how I will bear the separation from the love of my life. I'll probably just stock up on those jumbo cans of green boiled peanuts when I hit the grocery store. I've already packed some cans when I was packing for college.

2. Scarcity of Snow

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Where I'm from, if even the temperature was too low, schools were delayed or shut down. If we had so much as a centimeter of snow (which usually only lasted a few hours), the entire city would practically shut down-schools are closed, workers are sent home, banks are closed, and people are advised to stay off of the roads. Moving to the northeast and adjusting to the brutal winter storms and blizzards will certainly be tough for me. I'm already beginning to make a mental list of all the winter gear I need. I'm definitely not prepared to walk to class through several feet of snow!

3. Sweet Tea

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Yes, it's that serious. When I visited my college earlier this year, they served iced tea and lemonade at one of the dinners. I had one sip of the tea, and let me tell you-it certainly didn't taste very sweet to me. But I think that's just me (or just most southerners). My rule of thumb, which I'm sure many other southerners have heard, is: if you can't taste the diabetes, it isn't sweet enough.

4. Southern Accents

https://www.women.com/nicole/quiz-do-you-have-a-so...

Ok, it's a weird thing, but I just love accents. One of the funniest and cutest things to me has been those really deep southern accents. Some of my teachers and friends have had such distinct southern lilts, so it's going to be a little sad not hearing the usual southern accents and phrases I'm used to hearing on a daily basis. Someone told me I had a southern accent, which was surprising since I didn't think I had an accent. But I'll still miss the southern belle and country boy dialects I'm used to hearing.

5. Zaxby's

https://www.zaxbys.com/menu/most-popular/large-win...

Zaxby's slogan is "Indescribably good," and let me tell you: it is. I absolutely love Zaxby's, and I usually go to get their delicious chicken fingers with a piece of Texas toast. I've usually seen these restaurant chains in the south, and usually when I mention the name to others or ask if they've been there, most northerners respond saying they don't even know what that name is. So for those who don't know, Zaxby's is an amazingly delicious restaurant that serves chicken: not just any kind of chicken. They have chicken fingers, Wings and Things, their famous Texas toast, and themed Zalads (not salads, Zalads, because Zaxby's, get it?).

6. Chick-fil-A

http://www.franchisechatter.com/2014/12/16/when-co...

Chick-fil-A is yet another amazinly delicious restaurant best known for their wonderfully tasty chicken. Their chicken sandwich and chicken nuggets are my favorites, and they are so good. This isn't your typical McDonald's or Wendy's chicken nuggets. This is bonafide goodness, and service with a smile. Their waffles fries are also a good side, and I am absolutely in LOVE with their handspun milkshakes-cookies and cream, in particular. This is southern hospitality mixed with good food and friendly service. It's also a Christian franchise, which resonates well with many conseratives and Christians, but regardless of religious or political affiliation, Chick-fil-A is delicious food with fun for the whole family.

7. Old-Fashioned Church

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Honestly, black southern churches have a special place in my heart. This isn't your typical Mass service. Black churches know how to thrown down in the Lord. They know how to turn up for Jesus. They know how to get down in the Holy Ghost. Now what I don't care for as much is the lengthy time of services since many churches tend to tarry in the Lord and don't care whether service is 20 minutes or 4 hours. It can also be quite annoying hearing so many whoops and shouts when you're trying to hear the pastor, and don't even get me started on when the lady next to your starts falling out in the spirit. However, there's a sense of comfort in such tradition. I love hearing the old deacons and choir sing when the music is really good, seeing the passion and fire in the pastor when the sermon is truly prophetic, and even seeing the old church mothers in their Sunday Best and giant hats and old perfume is also kind of comforting. It's also nice when they give you some candy. I don't know how churches up north usually go, but I'm hoping for a mix between the passion of southern churches, with a more timely schedule so I don't have to sit in a hot building for half a day.

8. Southern Cooking

http://theramblingllama.blogspot.com/2015/05/food-...

If you haven't had southern cooking, you haven't lived. Cornbread, collard greens, macaroni and cheese, fried chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, and so many other delicious make my mouth water just thinking about it. I enjoy a nice homecooked meal by my mom, and already can't wait to visit home for a plate. Now if you're really from down south, you may have also heard of or even tried fried okra, pigs feet, oxtails, gizzards, chitterlings (aka chitlins), and some other wild foods that I personally don't care for. For breakfast I love me some grits with extra butter and nice, hot, buttery biscuit. The piece de resistance for a lot of well-known southern meals is a nice tall glass of iced tea with plenty of sugar.

9. Southern Hospitality

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Of course, there are exceptions in the south, just as there are exceptionally polite people up north, but one thing that you can usually find down here is southern hospitality. Growing up, I've learned to address adults as "Ma'am" or "Sir", always offer people a drink when they come over, say hello or excuse me when passing a stranger, and helping people if they look like they need assistance. While I've met incredibly kind and polite people up north, I can see a bit of the coldness that is stereotypical of northerners, in which people walk briskly without so much as acknowledging your existence, holding often cold and distanced glances, and not so much as blinking an eye if someone is in need of help. But of course, while we're known for our hospitality, don't forget the blatant racism the south is usually known for. But that's a topic for another day. For the most part, you often encounter warm smiles and kind words by southerners.