Growing up, “yes ma’am” and “no sir” were expected phrases when speaking to everyone, carbonated beverages were ALWAYS “soda”, and “y’all” was the only proper way to address a group of people. I was born and raised in Michigan, but the two biggest influences in my life were southerners. My parents grew up in the South: West Virginia, Alabama, North Carolina, Texas, and Louisiana are a few places where they spent their youth. Work moved them around quite a bit after they got married, and that’s how they ended up in Michigan with my sisters and me.

It’s always been interesting growing up in Michigan with southern roots. My friends would point out my parent’s accents, or ask me what they meant when they said something “tickled them”. I would use phrases like “y’all” and get a few giggles out of whoever was listening, and still to this day people hate on the country music I grew up on. I love it though. I get the chance to explain that I’m not insulting someone’s appearance when I say “Quit being ugly,” but telling them to be kind. Or, that I can show people what real sweet tea is all about. It’s fun to have a unique way of thinking and speaking sometimes, and to learn the differences we all have.

As I have mentioned in earlier posts, my hometown in Michigan is very tiny, a little over 1,000 people. Most of the people at home were born there, grew up there, left for college, and came right back and started families of their own. My family is the odd man out in that aspect of the community. All our extended family are 5 states away, not a 15 minute drive, and I’d take humidity and heat over snow any day. All that being said, I remember skiing regularly growing up, building many snowmen, and loving the fall weather that doesn’t exist down south. While my parents clearly have embraced the north and all it is, and learned to love it alongside us kids, I still think there is a part of our family that will always have that draw to Southern ideals and tendencies.

I’ve learned to curtail some of the slang for professional settings, I’m always ready to explain what some off the wall expression means, and I have gladly taken the challenge of trying all Cajun food in the area to find which place does it best. I have enjoyed getting the best of both northern and southern culture in my life. It has given me the courage to be unafraid of living in and trying out new places, but also a place that will always be home.