I've always considered myself a "Southern Belle," but over the summer I discovered that I had no idea what I was talking about. What started as a joke between my mother and me became a Josh Turner concert in Columbus, Georgia and then a full-fledged, five-day vacation.

Looking back on this vacation, it really was the culture shock that I needed in my life. I had always thought that Texas was the biggest and best thing that the south could offer, but now I know that I was clueless.

So here are some of my favorite things about my trip to Georgia, why they impacted me, and some things I learned along the way.

1. The peach trees

Nothing is more iconic to Georgia than a peach, and nothing will prove that better than looking at their peach orchards for miles and miles. Coming from Texas, I had never seen anything like this, and I had never been so mesmerized by the sheer amount of green. This was the day that I learned that trees could be so beautiful.

2. Forsyth Park in Savannah, Georgia

Forsyth Park is home to this beautiful fountain, which was sculpted in 1858. Walking around this park on a cool and cloudy day will truly give you the feeling of never wanting to leave, and nothing will remind you of the deep roots that Georgia has other than a historic structure right in the middle of Savannah's most popular park.

Walking around, it was so easy to see that the park was full of locals, who were just enjoying their life in this park. This was when I realized that even though Savannah is a decent sized city, it really felt like a small town community.

3. All of the BLUE

Just about every historic building in Savannah has some type of blue painted on it. I learned that this has roots back to an old myth stating that this specific "Haint" blue color would ward off evil spirits. This was believed to be because this shade looked like water, a substance that spirits couldn't pass through. If the structure was an entrance to the home, then it was more than likely painted blue. Along with that, almost every porch ceiling was painted blue as well. This has become a normal part of Savannah's culture today, and it was so exciting to see the things that have been passed down for over a hundred years.

4. All of the Iron

Along the same lines as the Haint blue paint, another tradition of historic Georgian's was to use an excessive amount of Iron when building a home. At the time, iron was the biggest indicator of wealth, and just about every historic home in Savannah has it on their exterior. This was undoubtedly the zeitgeist of the time, and it just makes you wonder about what life used to be like, who these people were, and how they interacted.

5. The trees

I'm just going to keep this one plain and simple: no Texan has truly appreciated the beauty of trees until they have experienced this first hand.

6. Alex Raskin Antiques

Trust me when I say that nothing will ever compare to the experience I had at Alex Raskin Antiques. This building is the last un-restored mansion in the Historic District of Savannah. Just about every inch of the four-story grandiose home is accessible to the public, and just about everything is for sale. But the experience isn't so much about the antiques, as it is the experience of stepping into a piece of history.

The paint is peeling and the floorboards creak, leaving the visitor to imagine what it used to be like. Once you're there, you see the people that used to walk the halls, and you see the family throwing their lavish parties, and you see the person that used to live in the room you're walking through. You can feel the life that has been lived there in the 158 years of its existence. It's something to keep you dreaming, and something that you'll never forget.

After this trip, I felt like a different person. I feel like I've never quite looked at life the same way again. It wasn't just a history lover's dream, but an experience of a lifetime. From that moment on, I decided that I never want to stop exploring life and trying new things. I never want to stop experiencing the culture shock that I felt in Georgia, because that's what pushes you to keep reaching farther. And not reaching for the best in life is not much of a life at all.