The South vs. The North (for Me)

A face America associates with the South.

I just came back from visiting my parents whom reside in the South. It's always weird for me the moment I arrive in Tennessee and then the moment I come back to New York. Why? I find the huge differences in the two states make me feel quite like the quasi-identity type of girl. I remember the days where I was a lot softer and patient than I am now. Now, I get really, REALLY annoyed when people walk too slow in front of me. Also, my heart doesn't flinch every time I see a bum. I may be slightly calloused, please forgive me.

I guess I am known as a transplant to New York, but I feel like I'm a living, fire-breathing New Yorker after all these years. Even so, I do find that when I go visit my family I find a bit of repose while I am there. There's so many trees and no marinating odors of urine in the streets. I also appreciate how there seems to still be chivalry as opposed to New York. Men in New York tend to be overtly confident to the point that they are arrogant. You won't find a lot of men in New York opening doors for ladies or letting them cut them in line. In the South, men will open the door for you, and (OH MY GOD!) let you cut them in line??

There's no rush in the South. It's pleasant and slow-paced. People still remember their manners for the most part. You don't really have a great variety of places to eat from like New York. You don't have all the amazing galleries to explore. You don't have the exciting night life. You have wholesome meals with family. There's a lot of BBQ and plenty of hospitality. Also, it is still the Bible belt. The first day I got back, I had a Jehovah witness named Mary Cash (?) tell me that we crossed paths for a reason. I listened to her earnest preaching about the end of the world, and I thought many things while she claimed the end was coming soon. My heart felt sorry for her ailing leg, but my patience was wearing thin after 20 minutes of her preaching. She made me remember all the people I came across whom despised how organized religion tries to impose beliefs upon others. She also reminded me in this act how different the South is from the North (aka. New York).

I think leaving and going back to places allows you to really see the transition in oneself. I also believe it's really important to assess your changes and growth into who you are today so you can better understand yourself as a whole. I like different things about both areas, but I have to say-- I LOVE NEW YORK. I feel free here for now, and that's all that matters to me. If only I had my loved ones closer to me... but a perfect life is always so hard to attain. Distance does make the heart more fond, after all.

In conclusion, they say home is where the heart is, but my heart seems to have more than just one.