I just returned from a week-long road trip in which my family and I flew into Pittsburg and drove back home to the Los Angeles area, crossing through several states including Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Man, is the South beautiful! I can definitely picture me moving there someday, but I will always be a SoCal baby at heart.

There were a few things I definitely did not miss about California, though. Traffic on highways throughout the southern region? Unless there’s construction, it’s practically nonexistent. Whereas if you’re in or near Los Angeles, traffic is bound to be ridiculous at any given time. Ugh!

And southern hospitality is STRONG. Every. Single. Restaurant. We went to had incredible service and most of the waiters and waitresses struck up conversation. Even the drivers were nice – I probably only heard a horn honk once or twice! A refreshing break from stereotypical California rudeness and impatience.

Not to mention, the South is so GREEN. Driving through Kentucky and Tennessee, never have I wanted to run across a field or roll down a hill so badly. The houses are spread out and there are far fewer suburbs and congested areas. Backyards are so open and free – hardly any fences!

And there are so many bodies of water in the South: streams, creeks, lakes, and ponds galore. It might sound a bit ridiculous that I’m marveling over this but, trust me, in Los Angeles a body of water is either a puddle of curbside sewer water with rotting substances in it or the L.A. River – yuck.

Everyone in the South says “y’all.” “How are y’all doin’ tonight (which we heard a hundred times at the Grand Ole Opry, by the way)?” That kind of thing. Some people make fun of this, especially the country music haters, but I love it. I’m not doing it on purpose but I literally can’t stop saying y’all. It grows on you.

Southern food is so good, oh my gosh. I love Cracker Barrel and Andy’s Frozen Custard and all the family-owned businesses and independent restaurants. The downside is that good “ethnic” food is rather difficult to come by in some areas. For example, there was a restaurant advertising both Chinese and Japanese cuisine. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t trust it…they’re almost too ambitious.

Also, you know how Californians love and take pride in their In-N-Out Burger? Well, fun fact: they have some as far east as Texas. I felt so betrayed when I saw all the In-N-Out billboards outside of SoCal.

Southern weather isn’t for everyone, either. It’s absurdly humid in the summer and snows half the time in the winter. I prefer the Los Angeles steady stream of heat and sun, with the occasional rainy day.

Another thing I will always vouch for on SoCal’s behalf is the sunsets. Yes, the South has picturesque skies and gorgeous sunsets but there is NOTHING like sunset at, say, Santa Monica Beach. West coast perks.

Can’t forget the night life! I adore the big city appeal and west coast speed. I couldn’t stand the southern crawl; I need to move, move, move. I used to complain about my suburb in the Inland Empire but even that is open till around 8 or 9 p.m. Everything in the South (minus the big cities) is dead by, like, 6 p.m. Sad face.

But you know what? Both regions have their ups and downs, and I love bits and pieces of each. SoCal girl at heart but Southern Belle deep down, too. Till next time!