Although I have only been in the Big Apple for about a week I have found that there are already some things about the South that I am going to miss. I am a Southern girl through and through, and although I absolutely love NYC there are just some things that the South has that NYC never will.
1) Amazing beaches: I grew up going to Atlantic Beach/Emerald Isle every summer, so I'm slightly partial and biased to them since I have a lot of great memories there. But even people who are visiting the beaches of NC for the first time can't deny how beautiful and calming they can be (unless you're at Wrightsville, in which case you will be surrounded on all sides by lots and lots of people).
I know that I will have access to some beaches that are not too far away from the city, but they will never compare to the beaches of NC. Beaufort, Morehead City, Atlantic Beach.. oh how I will miss thee.
2) Southern Food: Eating good food is one of my favorite things, and in my opinion Southern food is some of the best out there. Southern food is not complex or exotic per se, but many of the greatest comfort foods fall under this category. The best fried chicken, BBQ (NC style of course), biscuits, grits, etc. that I have ever had have come from restaurants in the South, and something tells me I won't get Southern food that good in NYC.
I have no doubt that I will get to eat a lot of amazing food up here, but will I ever find fried chicken as good as that at The Pit in Raleigh, or shrimp and grits as good as what I've had in Charleston? Doubtful, but I will sure look for it!
3) Speaking of Charleston...: It is easy for me to say that NYC is my favorite city, that's why I moved here! But there is no other city that I would want to visit more than Charleston, SC. It is a beautiful place that is full of historic charm, cool shops, great restaurants and really fun tours and activities. It also doesn't hurt that it's just minutes away from some really great beaches as well!
I've visited Charleston numerous times and always come back with great memories, but one of the best things about it was that it was within driving distance of Raleigh. While I know that I will have countless amazing things to do in NYC and I am really looking forward to what will surely be an adventure of a lifetime, I long for the lazy days of Charleston that involve eating alligator fritters and sipping wine on the porch or roof deck of a bed and breakfast over looking the Cooper River.
This is what I know for sure: I will always have a Southern accent (although it's not very heavy, but it is there!), I will always like country music, I will never forget how to play cornhole, and I will never, ever, stop saying "y'all". You can take the girl out of the South, but you can't take the South out of the girl.
