After spending a month in the low country, I can honestly say that I have a new perspective on life in the South. I learned so much in my time in Georgia, saw some wonderful things, and met some amazing people!

I'll start off with nature, as this tends to be the first thing I notice when I enter a state. The trees here are quite beautiful; from the Spanish moss-covered oaks to the abundant pines and stately pecan trees, they are sure to amaze (or maybe I'm easily impressed because I love trees, who knows?). Georgia in general tends to be quite flat, but what it lacks in elevation change it makes up for in color. The red hues from the expansive fields of sorrel really pop against the backdrop of spring greenness. Another color that stands out is the deep orange of the red dirt. I had never seen dirt like that before. While in Georgia, I was able to go on some beautiful hikes and take in many beautiful sites. Tallullah Gorge was a definite highlight, even though I had to carry Sunny up about 300 stairs! Georgia has a little bit of everything: lakes, rivers, ocean, and mountains. There is no shortage of nature in this state.

I spent my month living and working at a homestead, helping out with daily chores and making sure that the animals were taken care of. I learned a lot about the typical crops and vegetables grown in Georgia and consumed my fair share of them, especially collard greens, a Southern staple. Living on the farm helped me to have a deeper understanding of the challenges that farmers face in the low country and to see the different practices that must be used.

I was also able to visit some of the major cities in Georgia, where I discovered that the state is a bit of a melting pot. While visiting the beautiful town of Savannah, I learned that many of the people living there are from different parts of the country. Savannah seems to be growing rapidly and attracting many new people. I noticed a very similar trend in Atlanta, though this may have been related to the parts of the city that I visited. One thing I noticed in Atlanta that was very insightful for me was the color of the fire hydrants. All the fire hydrants I had seen in the past were yellow with red tops, but here I noticed that they were silver. This helped me to realize that what seems "normal" to me and my childhood could be very unusual for someone who has grown up with a different version of "normal." This new observation has helped me realize that I would love to learn more about these "norms" and compare them to what I grew up with and what I have seen on my travels thus far.

In just one short month, I've begun to understand Southern life in a whole new way. I was recently shown a meme about the weather down here that would have made no sense to me a month ago, and now I can relate to it on a real level. Crazy how much perspective you can gain in just 30 days!