A story of struggle: Southerners adjusting to the Midwest

Give us a break, we Southerners weren’t bred either for subarctic climates or fast-paced lifestyles.

My friends constantly berate me for “afflicting” them. With what?

With ‘y’all‘.

“I can’t stop saying it, and it’s your fault,” they complain. Not my fault it’s the most pragmatic second person plural pronoun in the English language. At least I don’t say “on line” instead of “in line”.

Also, what’s up with fashion in the North? Well, ok, arguably it’s much better. In the South, we’re into big t-shirts. Massive t-shirts. Not even like your boyfriend’s t-shirt, but ones that go down to our knees. We look like Toddlers in Tiaras on their day-off. Yes, I’m wearing pants. Why do you ask?

In the Midwest, curling your hair is a BIG DEAL. In the South, we curl our hair to go to the grocery store. If my hair is curled and I’m walking around campus, people assume I have a date or something. Maybe I just have a lot of extra time? Except nobody has free time here.

One style trend I’ll admit I’m thankful for on campus is that very few people wear head-to-toe pastels like we do at home. Thank god.

Another point of comparison: Greek life in the South is HUGE, like the entire social scene on campus revolves around it. Not all Southern schools are like this, but it’s true that I’ve barely heard anyone here say “I wish Notre Dame had Greek life.” After all, we have all the perks of it (alumni connections, community, tradition), without the setbacks (dues?? pledging??).

But South Bend, you’re still killing me.

This is a map of Waffle House locations near Notre Dame, Indiana. I’m not driving to Ohio for Waffle House. Back home there were three within a 10-mile radius of my house. It’s bad enough I can’t find instant grits at Target and that the dining hall sweet tea tastes like liquid tears.

And where are all the churches here? I’m not talking about the Basilica and the chapels in every dorm, I mean the white-steepled Baptist, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches on every corner of the city.

How else am I supposed to know what street I’m on if there’s no “Angela Boulevard 1st Methodist” or “Twyckenham Lutheran” to tell me?

Adjusting to the lifestyle here in general has taken a lot of effort. Back in the South, everything is slow-paced; nobody’s in a hurry to get anywhere or do anything. At Notre Dame, it’s work-hard play-hard 24/7. Personally, I’d rather be doing a million things than be bored, but it’s also nice to go home and be able to sit on the front porch with my dog all day and do nothing.

Honestly, going to school in the North, and specifically at Notre Dame, has been an amazing experience. People wear black. They appreciate good weather. I own snow boots! These are all super exciting and new things for me. So while my friends still make fun of me for wanting to wear a parka in 50 degree weather, I’d like to think that being a new “Northerner” has made me tough and appreciative of certain aspects both here and back home.

My one stipulation is this: I refuse to ever call soda “pop.”