The South > everywhere else.
Yeah, I said it. Now let me tell you why…
The Music.
What’s your favorite genre of music? Rock ‘n’ roll? Blues? Jazz? Rap? Whatever your answer, chances are it has its roots in the American South. It doesn’t stop at “roots,” though, because today’s Southern music scene provides a proverbial forest to get lost in. The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, TN, remains a top music venue for today’s up-and-coming country singers, while the thumping beats and slick lyrics of rappers like Future, Gucci Mane, and Lil Yatchy practically have hip-hop die-hards fighting over houses for rent in Atlanta, GA.
The Food.
If you’re not at least passingly familiar with the endless wars over which Southern state has the best barbecue, I feel bad for your taste buds. Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, and Missouri all have their own unique ways of making barbecue, and they all think their way is the “right” way. For the cook prepping the food, this is a debate as serious as life and death. While they battle it out, though, the rest of us Southerners reap the rewards in the form of the most delicious food in America.
The History.
There’s a lot of history wrapped up in the South. Not all of it is good, of course, but every last bit of it is worth remembering. In that way, the South is a lot like an elephant; it never forgets. Today, you can barely throw a rock in the South without hitting a monument, statue, museum, battlefield, or other well-preserved historic site. Even the buildings are bursting with historical value, many of them boasting architectural elements first erected generations upon generations ago.
The Weather.
Do you like shoveling snow? If you said no, then you belong in the South. If you said yes, you’re a liar. While it’s true that Southern states do have to worry about humidity and the occasional tropical storm, that’s a sacrifice many of us are happy to make in exchange for the kind of bright sunny days and comfortable warmth that makes even winters in some regions feel like summer.
The People.
Let’s face it, the most important thing about living anywhere has nothing to do with how hot the temperature is or how tasty the local cuisine is. What really matters is the people.
That’s not just a wishy-washy sentimental platitude; it’s the truth. Even if for only practical reasons, it’s important that the people you call neighbors are people you get along with, trust, and have a rapport with. That’s not always easy, but in the South the people have a certain sense of community that makes even complete strangers feel like family.
