This weekend I had the opportunity to go home to visit my home town, my home state -- in the NORTH.

You see, about 2 years I officially moved "south." I guess technically I did that several years ago when I moved to Baltimore, which is south of the Mason Dixon line. But Baltimore just didn't feel "south" to me. Nor did Cincinnati. Arkansas, on the other hand, feels "south." And to be honest, I've had a bit of a hard time adjusting to southern living.

Don't get me wrong -- the people are wonderful. It's never about the people. It's customs and traditions that I just can't quite wrap my head around - nor do they really fit my personality.

Here are a couple of examples:

- Many southern women will choose to dress up for sporting events. I'm more likely to paint my face! I wouldn't be caught dead in a dress at a game -- and definitely no pearls!

- While we're on the subject of dresses, many southern women love to dress up, and always look perfect when they leave their house - not a hair out of place. I'm envious of those women because they do make it look effortless, and they do always look good. But while being slightly envious of their seemingly effortless perfection - I have no desire to attain that! I'd MUCH rather go out in a pair of sweats and flip flops than heels and a skirt. If I hadn't chopped off my hair, I'd be most happy in an unshowered ponytail. :)

- China patterns and monogrammed everything is big down here. Admittedly, a wee bit of monogramming has wooed me in. But China, ugh, no way. We didn't register for China simply because I knew I'd break it!

- My latest -- the kids didn't go outside to play yesterday for long because it was too hot. It was 90. And in the winter, they don't go outside because it's too cold. It was 30. When I was a kid (aside from walking up hill both to and from school), 30 degrees was a balmy winter day that didn't require a face mask and snow pants! Seriously though - let the kids go outside. Fresh air and running around is GOOD for them!

While I was home last weekend, here are a few things I realized I miss about the north. Or at least my little corner of the north.



The daylight hours last forever! I always thought that summer seemed to last an eternity. Summer holds some of my fondest memories, and I think I entered a brief depression each year as it ended. I was excited for school to start, but summer was magical. I do think the number of daylight hours have a lot to do with it. It's still light at 10pm!



Look any direction and you have an unobstructed view of the world. The rib on SD is that there are no trees. And I do love trees. But the glory of being able to see forever is amazing there. You see the lush fields (OK, this picture shows cattails in a slough), the green prairie, God's beautiful blue sky. You realize just how big the world is. There is no feeling of claustrophobia when you have this much wide open space.



Rhubarb! Seriously, I didn't realize how much I loved this fruit until I left it. I tried unsuccessfully to grow it in both Baltimore and Cincinnati. Not going to waste my time in Arkansas. Each time my parents visit I request that they bring a bunch. My mom made this incredible dessert (not hers pictured above - but similar). She made a cheesecake and topped it with rhubarb sauce. More than one of us helped ourselves to 3rds of dessert that night. It was DIVINE. It's tart goodness cannot be matched. My Dad's cousin who joined us that evening for dinner (and who also now lives in the south) suggested that northerners really should bottle and sell rhubarb sauce, jam, desserts -- all sorts of delicacies -- and open stores in the south. It would catch on like wildfire.

I had a most wonderful visit "home" and am now back in my southern home. I will say that from an annual perspective I definitely prefer the southern temperature. And I'm not real eager to permanently return north to move out of it. However, despite where I live, I will always be a northern girl at heart.