I love stereotypes. There's basically a stereotype for every region of the world, type of person, race, or personality. Half of the time they don't even remotely represent the people/area being attacked, but make me laugh nonetheless. Being a Connecticut native and going to college in North Carolina, many people stereotype both regions of the country and ask me many amusing questions as to how life is on either side of the Mason-Dixon or can fulfill stereotypes themselves. To start, my friends from home might inquire something along these lines...

1. "So is everyone you go to school with a hick?"

No, in fact not everyone south of the Mason-Dixon drives a truck, was raised in the sticks, or married his/her cousin, nor has the intentions of doing so.

2. "Everything you eat must be fried."

Contrary to popular belief, people do eat greens down here. Fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy do exist. While fried Oreos are definitely a must try, they're not the only dietary supplement I've received in this region of the country.

3. "Do people have teeth down there?"

Yep. All my friends have teeth. Some people even had braces as a child too! (Hold the gasps. Dental care does exist, and people actively utilize it.)

4. "Everyone must be a little dumber than up here."

Considering that the state houses UNC, Wilmington, Duke, Wakeforest University, and NC State, I'm just not going comment further.

5. "Don't you miss the snow?"

No.

6. "Does everyone drive trucks?"

Another shocking realization for many is the fact that normal sized sedans are common nationwide, but I won't deny the abundance of trucks here either.

7. "I hear the Walmarts are huge there."

Oh, heck yeah. There's nothing you can't do in Walmart. Granted I'm a Walmart fanatic but really there's next to nothing that couldn't be found beside fine cuisine in Walmart these days.

8. "Are the accents even real?"

Yes? Better yet, apparently us Northerners have an accent to Southerners. Never thought about that, did ya?

Whereas my friends from the south might inquire...

1. "So is it true that no one says 'yes sir' or 'yes ma'am' up north?"

Unfortunately, this is true and appalling to many of my southern friends. No one will ever call you sir or ma'am in New England, but I suppose that's just part of our northern culture.

2. *Temp drops to 50 degrees outside* "Do you have an extra jacket or pair gloves?"

This one always makes me smile. Considering this is a normal spring climate for the north, we'd all be rolling the windows down and breaking out our shorts back home so probably not.

3. "Isn't everyone rich up there?"

While the minimum wage is higher in Northern states, it doesn't mean that everyone is automatically rich. Everything is relative people.

4. "Why on Earth would anyone live in Connecticut it's so small?"

Honestly, I'm still pondering this one myself. I'll get back to you.

5. "Wait, so there's no sweet tea in restaurants?"

Nope. Tea with sugar is the best we've got.

6. "You do it, you're the mean one, you're from the North."

Us Yankees are always taking one for the team when it comes to confrontation or "being mean," but hey someone's got to do it.

7. "Where's the Bojangles nearest to you?"

North Carolina. That's the closest I've come to Bojangles in the past few years.

No matter where I live, life is extremely different on either side of the Mason-Dixon Line. I'm just glad my friends on both sides all have their teeth.