Headin' Down South

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Oh, yeah, it's travelin' time!!

I'm leaving the cold weather behind for the warm, balmy South.

Although we're going by plane, the journey really should be made in a blue Ford pickup, tootling along dusty roads blaring Tom Petty through old speakers. 

For a Northern girl like me, the South holds as many mysteries as pleasures. When I first moved to North Carolina for school, I was hoping for a shock to the system - a real, this is how the Southern half lives moment. But the differences were much more genteel in their presentation - they snuck up on my slowly so that I never really realized them until the contrast of home was back around me.

In the South, manners still matter - except on the roads. Hospitality is an art and an obligation. Monday through Friday is for Taylor Swift, but Friday and Saturday are all about Weezy. Save Sunday for some Gospel. Iced tea IS sweet tea. They're only different things to Northerners. Southern cultural traditions are  biracial, but race is still sore spot. Y'all is not slang. Long drives lead you past cotton farms sprouting snowballs of white fluff. It's called the War of Northern Aggression.

And the earth is red.

This weekend, visiting Atlanta will feel like being home. Not only do I get to see great, great friends but I will be back in the South - a place I didn't know I loved quite so much until now.

On that note, I'll leave you with my lover, Tom, and his great Southern drive song.

Any recommendations for food or fun in Atlanta? We've got a great itinerary planned, thanks to my buddy, but suggestions are always welcome!