“Did you just say ya’ll? It’s only been a year.”

Yesterday, my friend said this with such surprise and bewilderment. I guess to him a Nevadan shouldn’t say such a thing and "you guys" is what I should’ve said. Fortunately, I’m not just a Nevadan. I’m from North Carolina and I’m a Tar Heel.

Fair Warning: If you go to Carolina and you’re out-of-state, you will end up saying "ya’ll" at least once and you won’t even notice it.

When I transferred to Carolina, I was determined to retain my west coast flare. I did not once think that I would succumb to southern influence and say "ya’ll." First of all, it’s not a word. It sounds weird even when I say it with a southern accent. Worst of all, I would sound ridiculous coming back to Nevada. From yesterday’s example, I guess I did sound pretty bizarre.

In the past week being home, I have used "ya’ll" to an unbelievable extent. I can’t imagine it not being part of my vocabulary. At first, I thought that it was ungrammatical and inconvenient. Now, I wonder how anyone can resist using "ya’ll" so frequently. It’s way better than "you guys." It’s quick and sounds friendly and warm-hearted.

It’s odd that I would describe it that way. How can this word convey these feelings?

I think it’s because of Carolina. No… I know it’s because of Carolina. "Ya’ll" has become a part of my vocabulary similar to how I have become part of the Carolina community.

When I first came to Chapel Hill, I felt different. I was this West Coast long boarder from Nevada. I didn’t have a family and definitely did not have any friends.

Many times on the weekends, I was the person that would text someone, “Hey, what are you doing?”

I would get responses that consisted of visiting Franklin street, going to Little Frat Court, or other fun, social things.

After receiving such an alluring text message, I would contemplate whether I should get the courage to ask if I could come with that person or stay in my dorm room and watch another episode of Criminal Minds. (Usually, I chose Criminal Minds.)

At this point, I did not feel at home. I most definitely did not use "ya’ll." If I ever did, I’m sure it was to sound less of a westerner. Even in those instances, it probably seemed out of place.

However, as the year went on, I caught myself feeling more at home. Walking to class, I would bask in the great weather. At games, I cheered louder and louder, especially for the Final Four (which I was in Houston for). Late night Insomnia runs became more frequent, while the cookies tasted warmer and sweeter. I even upgraded from getting one cookie to the infamous six-pack in one visit. And, instead of grabbing an Uber, I almost always chose to ride the P2P. We all know how much fun that is at 2 a.m. in the morning. The best part was that instead of texting people “what are you doing,” I would text “see you there.”

In short, Carolina became my home. Because I felt more comfortable, "ya’ll" eventually became natural and overtly better than "you guys."

So to my friend that questioned my use of "ya’ll," I use the word because I have a home in the South and that home is the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill or just Carolina for short. Leaving my home was hard and there isn’t a day that I wish I wasn’t back in Chapel Hill sitting out at the Pit or going on a run on stadium drive or even waiting until midnight at Alpine to hopefully get free bagels.

Homesickness is a real illness and I have that for Chapel Hill. In addition to it being more natural, saying "ya’ll" is a way of relieving my symptoms. While I am back home in Nevada, you can count on the fact that I will be soothing my illness by saying "ya’ll" in inglorious numbers.

So… just a fair warning to anyone planning to go to Chapel Hill: If you don’t already say "ya’ll," you will and you will love it!