Alex and I moved to North Carolina 4 1/2 years ago with the idea that we would return to somewhere north of the Mason Dixon line after I finished my residency. After all, we're 2 yankee liberals and things such as grits, NASCAR, the word y'all, and prayer in school were foreign to us! Well residency has come and gone, we have good jobs, a new house, and a second baby on the way- needless to say we're not moving back anytime soon...if ever! That's partly to do with the life we've built here and partly to do with the fact that North Carolina has exceeded our admittedly low expectations!
Now after spending 26 years in my beloved PA there are just some things that will never compare- Penn State football, apple festivals, the fact that you don't go to school on the first day of hunting season (and, no- i don't hunt!), no sales tax on clothes...you know, the important things! But on many other fronts, NC has held it's own if not (dare I say) surpassed the glory of my childhood home. Let's compare....
- Traffic! How in the world did I live in Philadelphia for 4 years and deal w/ that nonsense?!? It's refreshingly comical when people in Greensboro complain about 'terrible traffic' b/c most of them have never (and will never) spend 4 hours on the Schuylkill (skoo-kil for the benefit of those not living in eastern PA) to go 10 miles! The longer I live here though the more impatient I become with my 20 minute 'rush hour' commute when it should only take 10! But hey, when in rome, right!?! Advantage- NC
- Snow. And not just the actual amount but how people deal with it! Now most people would love to abandon the good dump that a Nor'easter brings (especially when trying to shovel it!) but I actually miss the snow! My NC neighbors will argue that it does snow here- and they're right- white precipitation does fall from the sky and may lie on the ground for a day or two before melting, but i doubt Alex will ever need to worry about shoveling feet of snow from our driveway! And remember that traffic that I laughed at- well that's true until any sort of winter precipitation is forecasted and then all hell breaks loose here on the roads! People just cannot drive in winter 'weather'! I mean really- the gas is still on the right and the break is still on the left, slow down slightly (DO NOT go under 10 miles an hour on major roads!), and hang up the damn cell and you'll be fine! Your car was not manufactured to handle any differently than those up north so there is no mechanical disadvantage- it's all driver ineptitude to deal w/ snow! I will give them the benefit of the doubt and say they get less practice- but honestly! Oh, and get this- they will forecast a 'dusting' of snow and the stores will be cleaned out of bread and milk, schools actually cancel in 'anticipation of a weather event' rather than waiting for the mandatory 4 inches on the ground, and it will be the lead story of every news broadcast! All in all, a totally different experience! Advantage- PA
- Temperature. Now this will seem a 180 degree change from our last discussion b/c those of you who are intellectuals will remind me that it has to be cold enough to snow (I know this- water freezes at 32 degrees regardless of latitude!) but I have to say that I LOVE the more mild temperatures!! I find myself laughing at the weather people when they discuss how 'cold' it's going to be (for example, the high for Saturday is projected to be 48 and this 'extreme cold front' has been the lead story on the news since the election ended on Tuesday!) People in NC will wear winter coats, scarves, hats- the whole 9 yards- when it drops to 50 degrees! Yes, 50 degrees! 50 degrees is my cut off for flip-flops! But I must admit, living in the south does thin your blood- b/c when I head north (or visit my brother in chicago) for a winter visit i absolutely freeze my ass off! It makes me wonder how i did it for 26 years! There is somewhat of a trade off in the summer when we're struggling through 30+ days of ungodly hot or whatever it was this summer- but i remember it getting quite toasty back home, too! Advantage- NC
- Sports. Well I've already told you that nothing will compare to Penn State Football and no matter how UNC, NC State, Wake Forest, or Duke try, it's just not going to be the same! With that being said, basketball season down here is a whole different world! I think they play football just to kill time until basketball starts! Unfortunately, try as my local CBS station might to make me a basketball fan (they interrupt primetime shows to play regular season games that I couldn't care less about!) I just don't feel it! I've always loved Tournament time and living in Greensboro it's a unique experience as we often host the 1st 2 rounds...but to follow a team through the regular season, not so much! Of course I have to know who wins and loses to discuss such things with my patients (they all come in wearing their favorite team gear so knowing just one score down here is by no means enough!) but I'm still not ready to commit to the craziness that is ACC basketball. And as for professional sports- there's no comparison! I'm a Pittsburgh fan through and through which serves me well during football and hockey season b/c there are a lot of Pittsburgh fans here! When we went to the Panthers/Steelers game there was almost as much black and gold in the stadium as Carolina gear! Baseball season is admittedly a little rougher since my Pirates absolutely suck and have for the better part of my life (with no end in sight!) but I can always get behind the Phillies after living there for 4 years and realizing there really is no direct competition! Besides, NC doesn't have a baseball team! A fact that is rather odd given the absolute cult like following that high school, college, and minor league baseball has down here! Advantage- PA
Political Views- This may surprise you! There are really very few differences between the 2 states. Both are pockets of intense democratic ideals (usually the cities) surrounded by vast amounts of conservativism (is that a word?!?) Now some Northerners still have some degree of racism, bigotry, and all around intolerance just as Southerners have the reputation for- it's just expressed differently. In my former NC middle class neighborhood there was a house that was very USA proud- yellow ribbons around the trees, American flag on the front porch, etc- you get the idea- but when the weather was warm and they opened their garage door, there was an appalling, ginormous confederate flag along the back wall!! (did I mention their neighbors directly to the right were/are black?!?) It made me cringe every time I saw it! But PA, you don't get off so easy- at last check, you had the largest growing hate group population in the country and coverage of KKK rallies were not uncommon on the Central PA news! Hate is hate, people! Whether you proudly display it in your garage or hide it by covering your face with a hood- it's all wrong! Unfortunately I think hate is everywhere and no matter how many times we would move or what state we would live in, it would still exist! Disappointingly, neither of the states i've called home allow same sex marriage or have plans to address this. Given that the South is notoriously bible focused, if i had to bet, i would guess PA would get to this first, but I'm not willing to risk it! Advantage- NEITHER
All in all, this race is too close to call. To be honest, I love both places! I miss my family and friends from up North but also really like the people that I've met here. Both places are within driving distance of major cities if the mood should strike me (but I really don't like cities all that much!). Both have ample outdoor activities, and I have to say that the Outer Banks crush the Jersey Shore as far as beach weekends go! (not really a fair comparision since I've never lived in NJ) Are people friendlier down South?!? Some, but not all. Does everyone watch NASCAR? Nope. Are Northerners rude?!? Again, some, but not all. Do we all drive like lunatics? Nope. I've heard all the stereotypes from both sides having lived in 2 'very different' places. But when you get right down to it, they're not very different at all! And stereotypes are just that- wide, usually glaringly inaccurate generalizations. I've come to realize that home is where you lay down roots, make your life, and feel most comfortable- and that can be anywhere if you're open to it! Parts of me will always be a PA girl...but those parts of me are also very comfortable in Greensboro, North Carolina. Feel free to visit to understand what i'm talking about- remember, southerners are known for their hospitality!
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