I grew up in Massachusetts so you can imagine the surprise looks on people’s faces when they learn such a thing. I moved to South Georgia almost two years ago but I still get bombarded with questions and observation on my being a northern girl. Here are a number of things I hear almost daily:
1. “How on earth did you end up in South Georgia from Massachusetts?”
Honestly, it wasn’t that big of a move for me. I applied to schools that fit my interests and Georgia Southern just happened to be the one I chose to attend. Besides, it’s warm here. (And no one in the South can pronounce my state)
2. “Oh, Massachusetts? So you’re from Boston then”
Surprisingly, Boston is not the only place is Massachusetts to live. I’m from western mass, and no I don’t live in the city.
3. “Why don’t you have a Boston accent?”
Well, since I’m not from Boston or its surrounding towns I don’t talk like them. Although, when I say certain words you can hear a slight accent. Then they start talking in Canadian accents but nope, not from there either.
4. “Wicked? What does that mean? Why do you say that?”
Wicked is the New England way of saying “super” or “really”. For example, today it’s wicked cold out.
5. “What’s the packy?”
That’s what we call the liquor store.
6. “Shopping cart/carriage? No, it’s a buggy”
No people, no it’s not. It’s a cart or a carriage, take your pick.
7. I have been given the nicknames “Boston” and “Yankee”.
Yankee I get, but not sure why I get called Boston as I am not from there.
8. “Why are you wearing shorts? It’s 50 degrees out.”
Up north, you can catch people wearing shorts when it’s 40 degrees and probably snowing. That’s just how we are.
9. “What’s snow like?”
The white fluffy stuff that in many years has gone above my head (I am five feet tall so just imagine all that snow) is pretty until it turns to slush and then it’s annoying.
10. “Northern people are rude.”
I have great manners and I wouldn’t exactly say that we’re all rude. When I first moved to South Georgia I thought it was weird that random people would make conversations, northerners are not for small talk. That’s just how we were brought up.
11. "Do you call soda, pop?"
Nope, never in my life. Soda has always been soda.
As I have adapted to southern living and have even started saying certain things with a southern accent (according to my northern friends) I get the mocking from both sides. After about two years I now live in the middle of being a northerner and southerner. The questions and comments about where I’m from/live will keep going, I fear.
