I remember when we moved down to North Carolina from Queens, New York. It was a long drive and looking out the window I could only see endless fields of grass. Where were all the buildings, the cars, the buses?! (I didn’t know that North Carolina did indeed have all of these things, just less in comparison to the Big Apple).

My was it a culture shock. My first encounter with a person who had a country accent was a memorable one. He spoke so slowly and with such a twang in his voice that I could not tell what he was saying. I had to ask him to repeat himself five times, poor guy. I felt trapped, no longer was I able to walk down the street to the park or to my favorite ice-cream shop, you couldn’t get anywhere without knowing how to drive!

Fast-forward several years through highschool and college and I can’t imagine a life NOT living in North Carolina. I’ve come to love this sweet Southern part of heaven (as they say), it’s molded me, brought me simple sweet memories, and given me an appreciation for the South in many ways.

Here are just a few of the sweet reasons why I’ve come to love North Carolina ..

1. It’s Always a Good Day to be a Tarheel 

I will never love a school as much as I loved UNC-Chapel Hill. The sky is always Carolina blue here and I love to wear it proudly. That’s why this darling dress from PinkBlush is now one of my favorite dresses in my closet! If it wasn’t for North Carolina I would’ve never known what it’s like to be a Tarheel!

2. Mountains and Seas

Beautiful mountains and beaches are just a few hours away no matter where you live in North Carolina. My appreciation of the Blue Ridge Mountains has grown tremendously since living in North Carolina

3. Chick Fil-A and Cook-Out
I mean need I say more?! We are on Whole 30 but there have been plenty of days where I was craving chick-n-minis or a $5 cook-out tray with their famous milkshakes. This will probably be one of my first meals once I’m done with Whole 30!

4. Southern Sweetness
It’s treason to get your tea unsweetened here and most of the people you meet will be friendly, willing to have a conversation, and nobody is a stranger! This Southern sweetness is something I was not accustomed to when living in New York and I definitely appreciate it!

Where do you live? Are there any things that you love about where you live?