It’s hot outside. And I mean it’s H-O-T. I dread summertime. I know, I know. You can think I’m crazy for saying that, but who likes to sweat when you’re not even doing anything to work up a sweat? Columbia is like an oven and it’s just wet outside from the humidity. Blech. Every year when summertime comes, I wish I lived somewhere else. 

I don’t like to sweat. My hair is naturally wavy and the humidity mixed with my hair is a dangerous combination. (Remember what Monica looked like in Barbados on Friends?)

You know the snowbirds that fly south from the Midwest and go to Florida to live in a condo on the beach in the winter? I’d like to move to a mild, dry climate in the summer. Because I’m all down on the south and the southern heat right now, I thought I should make a good list about what I absolutely love about the south to remind myself why I’d never want to live anywhere else.

Sonic and Chick-fil-A

I know these aren’t exclusively Southern, but you can bet that you’re going to find one of these restaurants in a Southern town. Mmmm boy! Tater tots, Cherry Limeades, Chick-fil-A chicken sandwiches, diet lemonade. Holy deliciousness, Batman. I love the south!

SEC football and being surrounded by others that recognize its superiority

Big 10 and Big 12 folks should step aside. The SEC pride is strong and can be found in all the Southern states. There’s no denying the superiority of the SEC– especially to a Southerner. If you try to prove an SEC fan wrong on this you will not win and may make a few enemies in the process.

Charming Accents

While some say that Southern accents or country accents make people sound dumb or uneducated, I think it’s charming and endearing. I can think of accents that are a lot more shrill-sounding. Think Rachael Ray and nails on the chalkboard. 

Okay, Charming Everything

From  the local restaurants with the same servers and staff that have been there since the doors opened to time honored traditions for every occasion under the sun, things in the south are just charming. Sometimes being in the south makes you feel like you’ve stepped back in time to the days where people can leave their doors unlocked and let the neighbors walk in.

The Food and the People that Prepare It

I can’t say enough good things about Southern cooking. I’m from Louisiana originally so I have a pretty high standard of food excellence, but I don’t have to go far to find great food. Our Sunday school friends provided us with meals for three weeks after Hudson was born and we didn’t have a single bad meal. The beautiful women that prepared the meals for us are also great about sharing recipes. There is, though, an unspoken rule that if you provide your recipe to your friend then she is not to prepare that dish for you.

Seersucker and the men that wear it proudly

There are non-Southern men that wear seersucker, but they don’t get away with it without some harassment. I’m not the preppiest girl in the land and don’t live for Vineyard Vines and Lilly Pulitzer, but I can handle some seersucker.

So tell me, Southerners, what do you love about the south? If you can’t stand the heat what redeems the south in the summertime for you?