7 Things I learned while traveling through the American South

7 Things I learned while traveling through the American South -

The American South has a mixed reputation in US popular culture: it is the home of sweet tea, oily, but tasty food, country music and blues, friendly and helpful people, and beautiful and varied landscapes. However, it is also supposedly filled with weapons, racist, fanatic, and rednecks, and it is the subject of further negative stereotypes.

The first time I visited the South in 06, on a journey across the United States. As a liberal Yankee, I wanted to be able to the negative stereotypes true and my beliefs are validated. Instead I found an incredible region of helpful people, a landscape dotted with rolling hills, farms and forests, and savory food rich in flavor. From Charleston to New Orleans and everything in between, the South was exceptional.

Now, nine years later, on another journey through the South, I wondered if it would provoke the same warm feelings. America is a politically divided country. The South has politically driven to the right, and I wondered about heated debates about "that President," gay rights and more. Would I feel like a stranger in a strange land?

months after we explore the region, I realized that the southern states, a large area of ​​the United States covers, are not monolithic as culturally and politically, as they were once. There is amazing diversity here, and the region has me with many impressions:

The food will make you happy

Eating a central role in the southern life plays and is rich both in taste and variety. Each region has its own specialties - barbecue in Missouri, Memphis and North Carolina; Creole food and oysters in New Orleans; Cajun food on the Bayou; fried chicken in Nashville; the growing organic food scene in Atlanta; and upscale restaurants in Oxford, Mississippi. I imagined Southern food as greasy, fried, and heavy fare. While much of it is hearty, the richness of flavor and variety was excellent. There is something for everyone, and if you get hungry during the visit, it's your own fault.

Music makes the region go 'round

music is a way of life here. The sound of live music filled the air everywhere. Nashville, Memphis and New Orleans are thrilled famous music, but even the smallest towns have robust live music scenes. From jazz to country to blues to bluegrass, there is a musical soul in this region. I danced, jammed, and sang, and it was wonderful

The people are very friendly -. There is a common belief that the south is home to the friendliest people in the country. I'm not sure if I believe that, but I would agree that Southerners are certainly friendly. They are cheerful, chatty and incredibly helpful. Stranger waved hello, asked about my day, with invitations for drinks were quickly made to feel welcome in general a struggle for me. The people here have hospitality to an art down. They also seem to have an endless supply of sweet tea, and I can not get enough of this stuff!

The scenery is breathtaking

The southern landscape is beautiful and diverse. The Smoky Mountains are a large, dense forest filled with inviting rivers, lakes and hiking trails. The Louisiana Bayou haunted with mossy trees and eerie calm. The hills of the Appalachian Mountains stretch for miles wooded, and the entire Mississippi Delta, with its marshes, bogs and species diversity, is beautiful. And the beaches of Florida are so they do sparkle. I could wander spend months and all in the region to explore the parks and rivers. ( Mental Note own future. do)

in order to understand it, one must understand its past

As a former high school history teacher (I taught right out of college), I was excited, the field of colonial towns and civil war sites to explore. Cities like Natchez, New Orleans, Vicksburg, Savannah, Memphis, Richmond, and Charleston helped shape the country, and its history and influence are important for the history of America. It was in these cities that were born many American cultural and political leaders, the civil war began, battles were won and lost, the rise and fall sown slavery, and many of the biggest names were born in American cultural history. help these cities and their history to explain a lot about southern pride, culture and current feelings

It is politically conservative -. Although Ashvilles, Nashville, Atlanta, Austin and other major cities the region have more liberal are (thanks in part open-minded student, northern transplants and hipsters), the rest of the region has more moved to the right recently. In addition to country music, seem to bring the Antichrist to insist radio options only from Christian lectures and music or right talk radio warning of immigrants in polio, evil Muslims and Obama. I heard many discussions about "this guy" (the President) and "fagots." The big cities may be liberal, but in the rest of the South, it is as conservative as can be conservative.

it is racist (but it's not the 1950s racist violence) - I more an "off-the-cuff racism" to be racism in modern south as a deep-seated hatred , It was based on stereotypes that lingered, because it's just become a habit. From the B & B owners who made a offhand comment about the Jews to the guys in Nashville who spoke to be about black workers because "that's the way it is," funny to the people in Atlanta do gay to College -Kids me to tell in Mississippi racist jokes (or sing racist songs on buses), most came in simply as thoughtlessly. When asked whether their comments biased, they would probably say, "No, it was just a joke." But it is still very offensive. No one seems to make these ideas into question why these attitudes seem to linger. Does that mean I think everyone has a deep-rooted racist? No not at all. I think that the South has made incredible progress in gender equality and racism an issue in many places is. While to be better than before, it is still very widespread and the movement toward the political right, I do not see, off in the foreseeable future. I had this stereotype would be outdated hoped, but unfortunately it was not.

Despite its shortcomings, I am growing to love with every visit to the area more. It is one of the most culturally rich areas of the country. There is a reason why the cities are booming.

go the region to visit, get out of the cities, traveling through the mountains and the way in the small towns find. They are friendly people, heavenly food, to discover great music, and an appreciation for a slow pace of life.

trip breaks barriers and misconceptions about people and places down. The more you travel, the more you understand people (even if you do not agree with them). The south and I can be on a lot of issues that are not in agreement, but it is not the region make the negative stereotypes it. It is a vibrant, lively, interesting and friendly part of the United States.

and another man should get to know.

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