So many people across the country hear "the South", or mention of a southern state, and instantly have an image in their mind: poor education, frying any food imaginable, living in a mobile home, people who lose their minds when it snows, and even racism.

I'm here to give a little bit of perspective to those who assume that the only people who are proud of the south, fit this bill.

The true south is something that you cannot simply describe in words, or even with photographs. There is a deep-rooted sense of identity that comes from the history of struggles, and the transition into modern times. With a little bit of everything in this region, one thing that is common among the people is a sense of home and family. Many families have lived in the same counties for generations, brought there by the promise of work in textile mills starting in the later 1800's. Today, many of the old mills and their surrounding villages still stand; some are even in use still. The remnants of this past are surrounded by the growing cities, and stand as reminders of our roots.

There is a sense of comfort and peace in the countryside that is rarely found anywhere else. The air feels cleaner, the sky seems more blue, and the grass is always greener. Travel from the mountains, to the rolling hills, and to the beaches, all in a weekend. The people of the south have come a long way both socially and economically. I urge anybody who has never taken a drive off the beaten path with the windows down to give it a try. From the quaint, small towns, to the modernized and industrial cities, the South is the most culturally diverse regions in the United States.