Behind the Name: Seeking the South

For some reason I have always had an obsession and love for the South. I used to visit family in Georgia every year for a few weeks until I was twelve, and given my hatred for the northern cold it just always felt more like home than New York. Don't get me wrong, Central New York is a great place to live and grow up, but if you're like me and absolutely despise winter, the snowiest city in America may not be the place for you.

My senior year of high school I applied to about 20 schools, about 13 of which were down South. Ironically, I ended up going to Syracuse University for my freshman year, and then transfering to Cornell. I suggest these schools to anyone that loves hilly walks to class in the snow, and not very good football teams. These schools kept me close to home and my family, and also were the best for my academic goals. But even though I chose to stay in the Northeast for college, I made the decision before college while in Conyers, GA for a horse show that I couldn't stay above the Mason-Dixon line for much longer. 

My first year at Cornell I met a girl from North Carolina, who is now one of my best friends. We both rode horses, loved sorority life, and all things Southern. She has a family house on the beach near Charleston, SC, and we spent a week last summer and this year's spring break on the beach, eating Chik-fil-a and Bojangles, and drinking sweet tea. When we are at school and battling negative temperatures and winter storms, we talk about how our lives will be when we live down south together, and it helps keep the dream alive.

I do not want to pretend to be something I'm not. People always ask me if I'm from the south, because I apparently seem southern. But I accept that there are parts of southern culture I don't understand, and that my view of the culture is skewed and fairly limited. However, I still cannot wait to branch out and move where the tea is sweeter and the weather is hotter. 

So as of now I have two more bitter cold winters, until my dreams of seeking the south become a reality. In the meantime I need to finish up school and get my life back on track, but I have plenty of motivation! So for now, I'll just stay in my southern state of mind. 

Side note: the picture is at a restaurant in Charleston drinking sweet tea with one of my littles. And my phone autocorrects BOJANGLES and BISQUITSSSSSSS because those are things I get excited about.