Manners
We were always taught to say "please" and "thank you"in the north, but down here politeness is taken to a whole new level. Don't even bother answering a yes or no question if you're not gonna add "ma'am" or "sir".
Sweet tea
There’s sweet tea everywhere- and no southerner seems to think that we have sweet tea in the north. Spoiler alert: we do, it’s just not as common. At casual restaurants there’s about a 50/50 chance of finding sweet tea on the menu- if not, the waiter will bring you iced tea and tell you to mix it with the sugar packets on the table. (For pre-made sweet tea, McDonald’s is always the go-to.)
Churches
I didn't know the accuracy of the term "Bible Belt" before moving to Virginia. I grew up in a predominantly Christian town, but I often passed temples and mosques. Here, there's a church on every corner. And I do mean every corner.
The weather
Apparently southern schools cancel if there's even a chance of snow. I would've loved that the million times I had to walk to/from school in four inches of snow with a windchill of -20.
Chinese food
There's just no good Chinese food here. Sorry.
Diversity
Maybe this is just where I live, but the dominating race is white. Where I grew up, I had more friends coming from different ethnicities and countries than I did white friends.
Pick-up trucks
We have them in the north, but they're not nearly as common as they are in the south. (And most of them have confederate flags.)
"Y'all"
It's contagious. I didn't even realize "y'all" had become a part of my vocabulary until my friends from home pointed it out to (and made fun of) me.
Sports
High school and collegiate football are somewhat popular, but sports are a new game in the south. Some towns get shut down and everyone is expected to attend.
The pace is different
I don't know why, but in the north, we do everything faster (walk, talk, eat, etc.) Southerners tend to be more relaxed, which is not necessarily a bad thing.
Fast food
What are Zaxby's, Bojangles and Cookout?
Virginia is considered the south!
When I first moved to Virginia, I openly acknowledged that I did not consider it the south. My Virginian friends quickly came to their state's rescue, and now I know better than to associate Virginia with the north. (My northern friends laugh when I say Virginia is southern, though. Can't win 'em all.)
