06/16

6 Things I Miss About The South

I might have left the South shortly after college but I’m still a Southern girl at heart. And, let me tell you—I miss it like hell sometimes. Even though my family still lives there, I don’t get back as much as I wish I could.

Here are some little, maybe unexpected reasons, why I miss the home I love so much:

1. Hearing Country Music Everywhere You Go:

I’m a huge country music fan. In California, people listen to it but not like they do in the South. It’s on literally everywhere…and I love it. You’ll hear it in the gas station, the grocery store, and almost any bar or restaurant. It’s instant feel-good music to me! My husband always makes fun of me because when I find a country song I like I will play it on repeat over and over again. My last song obsession was “Burning House” by Cam. I listened to that song on repeat for weeks.

2. The Lake

During the summer, I was always at the lake. It didn’t matter if it was rain or shine! Now that I live in California, I feel lucky to have such easy access to the ocean and beach. It’s so beautiful! But I’ll be honest—it just doesn’t have that same “Summers At The Lake” feel that I love so much! Grilling out, boating with friends, country music blasting—you can’t get it anywhere else.

3. Summer Thunderstorms:

There’s just something about a summer thunderstorm. Being from Kentucky, we had quite a few! When the lightening hadn’t been spotted yet, I remember running in the rain in my backyard. It’s that peaceful feeling of a warm summer rain that I’ll never forget. Another thing I’ll always miss? Fireflies. We don’t have them in California—at least as far as I know!

4. DAIRY QUEEN!!!

Where do I even begin?! I still crave Blizzards almost once a week. Last time I was in Atlanta, I got to share a Blizzard with Brooksie. He absolutely loved it! When people would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would tell them “Dairy Queen Waitress.” Yep, I was that obsessed! In high school, that’s where we met after football games or on a hot summer day. I mean, I might have even been on my first date there. Such great ice cream and even better memories!

 5. The “Yes Ma’am’s”

I’m not saying that manners don’t exist in other parts of the country. The South is just known for the good old-fashioned manners aka “yes ma’ams.” I always promised myself that I would instill this in my children when I became a mom. With Brooks, I started the second he began talking! The same will go for Scarlett. Always say please and thankful, always be gracious, and always be kind.

6. Southern Accents (Especially Mine!)

Believe it or not—I had quite the Southern drawl. It had stuck with me up until I started working on MTV’s House Of Style. When you are a host, you can’t have too much of an accent. It has to be as streamline as possible. So, they trained it out of me! Not all the way though. You can definitely still catch it from time to time—especially when I have a couple cocktails!

Who else is from the South? Comment below! I’d love to hear from y’all.