8 things that surprised me about the American South, as a Canadian visiting
There were more than a few culture shocks.
Surprising things about the USA.
Sometime during the Biden administration, I decided to spend my winters in South Carolina. Rather than continue to work remotely from my apartment in the dead of winter, I opted to take advantage of Myrtle Beach's great off-season rental prices and WFH somewhere with a bit of sun.
I'd never travelled that far south in the U.S. before, and never for such an extended period. This would be my first time getting to settle into an American community and really get a feel for the place I was visiting. But I thought I knew what to expect from the South, so I figured the culture shock wouldn't be too jarring.
I was wrong. It's a whole 'nuther world down there, and I learned a lot from my winters there. There's a lot to be said about Southern culture – both good and bad. Here are a few things that surprised me about it.
The billboards are hilarious
It sounds weird to say, but this was the first cultural shift I noticed as we entered The South. Somewhere in Virginia, as I continued south on the interstate, the billboards suddenly started actually catching my attention.
Chick-fil-A, for example, was running a hilarious campaign in which cows were pushing their "eat chicken, not beef" agenda. But even the more religious or political billboards gave a "writing on the wall" feel that let me know what the local vibe was as I arrived.
By far the best one I saw just said, "Ain't nothing Jesus can't do!" No church logos or websites. No call to action. No possible way to profit from the ad. You just don't see that kind of energy north of the Mason-Dixon line.
There's a whole lotta Jesus
I'm not saying there isn't also a whole lotta Jesus in Canada too – it's just that The South is much louder about it.
Despite staying in a county with quite a diverse population, it seemed like the line between secular life and Christian religious life was non-existent. Folks often had crosses or shrines to the Virgin Mary in their front yards. Everywhere from bumper stickers to radio talk shows to wall art and even graffiti, people were declaring their Christian faith.
Most of it was very much in the "God is good, love thy neighbour" vein, which I can get behind. But as a foreigner (and a Jew), I'll admit it definitely took me some time to get used to hearing "the good news" several times per day.
Gators. Gators everywhere
South Carolina is swarming with alligators.
In my mind, alligators lived further South in Florida and Louisiana. Somehow I missed the memo that South Carolina is home to over one hundred thousand alligators of its own.
One of their favourite hotspots is the marshland in Horry County between the Waccamaw River and Myrtle Beach. And guess where I was staying?
A "cloudy day" is just a day with clouds in the sky
There are so many reasons that I love living in Canada, but OMG, the winter is not one of them.
In South Carolina, when the weather forecast calls for a "cloudy day", they just mean that there will be some wispy clouds in the sky. The locals we spoke to found this amount of cloud cover dreary and disappointing, while our Canadian eyes were still acclimating to so much direct winter sunlight.
Even in the depths of January, there were only one or two days that I would qualify as "cloudy" – but I was still strolling barefoot on the beach in a hoodie. One year, I swam in the ocean on January 5, and I'm pretty sure I've swum in colder water in the summer in Quebec.
The much milder winters were why we were there, of course. But even so, I was thrilled by just how much sun and warmth we were able to soak in.
They're gatekeeping all the good country music
I genuinely thought I wasn't a country music person. Besides Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash, I'd never actively choose to listen to country.
It turns out, most of the good country music doesn't reach Canadian radio stations. Since The Deep South has (in my experience) hit-and-miss rock stations, I found myself listening to more and more country in the car – and Southern country hits different.
A lot of the country music veers into metal territory, just with less bass and different subject matter in the lyrics. And the stories in those lyrics – of loss, pain, redemption – ranged from hilariously relatable to downright moving.
To this day, I still stream music from the South Carolina country radio stations' websites.
"Southern Manners" are real (and they're lovely)
I've heard from a lot of newcomers to Canada that we're a "cold" culture. We're kind, we're considerate, we're even friendly – but there's still an emotional distance between people when we interact in public.
These comments didn't totally click until I spent an extended amount of time in the Deep South. There's a natural, easy courtesy people have for each other. Interactions are a little slower. The things you say are absorbed before people respond. Strangers are acknowledged in passing. Holding doors open for women isn't "good manners" – it's just expected.
On my first stay, an older man walked past us as we sat outside and literally tipped his hat. Every waitress we encountered was so warm and hospitable that I felt like I was being served dinner by my grandma.
I found myself naturally slowing down, showing care, swearing less. Taking up more space. Nodding to folks as I passed them.
The dialect is contagious
This is a quick PSA for Canadian anglophones: we need to collectively adopt "y'all" as part of our daily vocabulary.
Most languages have words to differentiate between the singular you (I'm talking to YOU specifically) and the plural you (I'm talking to ALL OF YOU). English used to have separate words for these – "thou" and "you" – but we dropped "thou" at some point, and it's made communication clunky ever since.
Enter The South's solution: y'all. It's clear, it's fast, and I have become utterly incapable of removing it from my vocab. It's a great addition to English, and we need to make it a thing.
The food isn't just cozy – it's delicious
It's official yall: I love me some eggs and grits in the morning. I'll even throw some collard greens in the omelette.
Seafood gumbo is delicious. Catfish is surprisingly versatile. Hushpuppies are the ultimate comfort food. And what is in those biscuits?!
The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
