Southern hospitality extends all the way to the West Coast

Southern hospitality is the idea that in the South, people are warm and friendly and welcoming. There’s a notion that this type of hospitality only exists in the South. Well, as I West Coast resident, I resent that.

I resent that people think the West Coast is rude and superficial and unwelcoming. I mean sure, I’m not a fan of all the visitors that suddenly arrive (unwelcome) onto our beaches during the summer.

And I’m also not a big fan of how crowded our roads get when vacation season rolls around, but I can’t imagine only people on the West Coast feel that way. I’m sure people in the South don’t enjoy when their towns get overrun by tourists who muck up their streets and clog their roads.

I’ve seen plenty of Southern hospitality right here. For instance, my best friend is one of the greatest people I know. Despite her city being crowded and busy, she still finds a way to be welcoming to those around her. She always tries to find the good in people, even if they stole her parking spot and prevented her from going to her favorite store in the mall.

Another aspect of Southern hospitality is the food. Southerners call it “downhome cooking” or “Southern comfort food.” Sure, we don’t make grits on the regular or have three course meals on a Tuesday, but I think the thing that makes the food a part of Southern hospitality is the fact that people sit down together to eat it at one table.

Often, we all get so busy and we forget it’s important to sit down together to share meals and talk about our days. In my house, my parents and I would always sit down together and hang out before going to bed. The food may have not been gourmet or made in bulk, but I would still consider it equal to the Southern hospitality found across the country.

I think the most important part is the tradition. In the South, there’s a huge emphasis on tradition and on the idea that families and friends have certain things they do repeatedly.

For my friends, our tradition is once every summer, we try to be tourists in our own home. We try to find new things to do right in our back yards. I know traditions usually consist of families passing down stories and doing things together, but for me, traditions don’t have to be a big deal. Traditions are something that mean something to the group of people doing it. They can be big and they can be small, but they will always be important.

So, in closing, I don’t think Southern hospitality is only limited to the South. It can be found anywhere, as long as you have friends, family and a little tradition.