My Appalachia

Today I’m thankful I live in the south. Can y’all even imagine me in Yankeeland? I’m thankful for the flowering dogwoods, magnolias, & crepe myrtles. I’m thankful for the summer days where it’s too hot to even swim, {forget about getting married 😉 } I’m thankful for the accents that use every letter in the word. I’m thankful that most people still have enough manners to hold a door open or let you in front of them in line if you’ve only got an item or two. I’m thankful that we have people willing to keep history alive by re-creating the War of Northern Aggression. I’m thankful for the music of cicadas in the late evenings. I’m thankful for all the little festivals celebrating bar-be-que, apples, & catfish. I’m thankful for fried food, sweet tea, cornbread, & beans. I’m thankful that we’ve captured the hearts of everyone who passes through. I’m thankful that we have a church on every corner. I’m thankful for days spent fishing for trout on the foggy Clinch river, hiking & tripping over the mountains in the Great Smokies, & going even further south to visit the historic cities of Charleston & Savannah. I am thankful the south still exists as a place and as a mindset. Wherever you go, take the south with you. Its the best.