I spent the better part of my childhood and teenage years fighting against anything and everything southern. I hated the country roads. I hated the accents. I hated the music, from southern rock to pop country. I hated people calling me “Darlin” and “Sweetheart,” and I most certainly hated the fact that I was born and raised in the south. (Food didn’t count though. I loved the food.) This is of course very natural – to rebel against what you’re given. Every other place on earth seems far more interesting than what you’re surrounded by. I wanted to be a California surfer girl. Or live in New York City. Or be in a military family and live all around the world. Anything but the Deep South. I didn’t know WHY I hated it so much. I guess I just thought the grass was greener on the other side. Or maybe I just needed a reason to be unhappy. I tried to escape the south when I went to college, but a full scholarship brought me to the University of Georgia. I tried to escape the south when I got my first job, but a once-in-a-lifetime intern opportunity pulled me right back in. I tried to escape the south by switching jobs, but the most amazing person ever came waltzing right into my life. The nerve. Finally, a little over two years ago, said amazing person and I moved to New York City. I had waited for this all of my life. I may have cried a little. And that’s when – big surprise – my appreciation for the south grew. I became PROUD of where I grew up. I finally saw the beauty in those country roads and the delightfulness of a sweet Southern Belle accent. I would tell my coworkers stories of my childhood, exposing them to things unfamiliar to them. And I ran around with a big pot of grits, forcing them down New Yorker’s throats while screaming, “They’re the best thing EVER!” As crazy as it sounds, I have become more of a Southern Belle since I moved to New York City. I have become more aware of my hosting ability and more conscious of gift giving and thank-you notes. I make collards and grits on a weekly basis. I sew. And most of all, I love visiting the south and surrounding myself with the people that help make the south what it is. Southern Belles make it a unique place, which is why embracing those traditional qualities is so important. Though I might be watching from afar, I no longer suppress any form of southern-ness that I experience.
I may not be your typical Southern Belle, but I was raised in the south. And there are some things that just don’t leave you, no matter how far you go.
I may not be your typical Southern Belle, but I was raised in the south. And there are some things that just don’t leave you, no matter how far you go.
*Bio written by Charity - sorry, I can't help but brag on her! :)