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I Survived Football Season in SEC Country

I’m an ACC girl, through and through.

I’ve always lived somewhere with a strong ACC presence. In North Carolina, if you’re not an ACC fan, then what are you? Virginia has the Hokies and that other little school up I-64. When my family lived in Georgia, we still had our ACC fix with Georgia Tech in Atlanta. Even in Pennsylvania, we had decent ACC coverage because of the proximity to Maryland and Virginia; when Pittsburgh and Syracuse joined the ACC, that helped, too.

Side note, why on Earth is Syracuse in the ACC? And don’t even get me started on Notre Dame.

Then I moved to Tennessee. It’s SEC or nothing here.

It’s not like I wasn’t expecting that. I’ve had plenty of exposure to the madness that is SEC football. In fact, a dear friend of mine from middle school came from a divided SEC family. Her dad went to Auburn and her mom went to LSU. She used to come to my house during LSU-Auburn games because her parents bickered so much the whole time. I knew enough about the SEC teams and their fans and who hated whom the most; I figured I could blend in well enough.

I started following Tennessee football (not super closely, but closely enough) just to be informed. If I ever got into a conversation with Tennessee fans–which I thought would be a more common occurrence–then I’d be able to follow along.

It helped, but not enough. My ACC ties stuck out like a sore thumb.

Maybe it’s geography and proximity, but I really only experienced the SEC from Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Florida and Auburn fans. I met a few Vanderbilt people in Nashville, ran into the occasional Ole Miss or Mississippi State fan downtown, and I think I saw a South Carolina fan somewhere. The Kentucky fans have started appearing now that it’s basketball season (much to my chagrin). And until the other week, I’d totally forgotten that Texas A&M and Missouri were even in the SEC.

Here’s what I learned and experienced in my first year fully immersed in SEC Country:

Tennessee fans may sport their creamsicle orange loud and proud, but it’s just the wrong shade for me. Not that I can really pull off orange all that well, but if there’s any shade of orange I wear, it’s my Burnt Orange, accompanied by that beautiful Chicago Maroon. Auburn’s orange is more of my shade. It’s closer, at least. War Eagle?

There’s a cute little boutique about five minutes down the road from my apartment that I like to shop at sometimes. While they don’t carry any “official” SEC fanwear, they do have several racks sorted by team colors: blue and orange for Florida, black and red for Georgia, navy and orange for Auburn, etc. One day I found a really cute top on the crimson-and-white rack, and thought it looked close enough to my favorite dark red hue that maybe I could pass it off as a Hokie color. But I knew it was intended for Alabama fans’ closets, and I just couldn’t bring myself to buy it. It was such a cute top, though.

I work with two SEC alums: one from Florida and one from Alabama. Sometimes I wonder how they get along. All kidding aside, the only time I ever heard them bickering was the week before the SEC Championship game. My fellow Hokie coworker and I kept each other sane this season (and consoled each other when appropriate).

If there’s one thing I learned quickly, it’s that everyone hates Alabama. That’s easy enough. I don’t think I’ve ever uttered the words “Roll Tide” in my life (and it felt so wrong typing them just now), and I don’t plan on ever uttering them. When my Hokies played ‘Bama in the season opener a few years ago, it was all I could do to get through watching the game without vomiting a little every time I heard that stupid “Rammer Jammer” chant.

I guess Alabama is to the SEC like Duke (barf) is to the ACC: if you don’t love them, you hate them. There’s no in between.And in my head, Texas A&M will always be a Big 12 team that just happens to play SEC teams.

And, after the whole season, I still don’t know a single word to “Rocky Top.” I even had some preparation from a gym teacher in elementary school. She was a Tennessee alum and played “Rocky Top” for us every Friday, whether it was football season or not.

The SEC is a completely different world compared to the ACC. I like it. It’s entertaining. I may live in SEC country, but I am an ACC girl always and forever.

Kate Robertson is a features writer for Pretty Southern and a Virginia Tech alumna. She also holds an M.A. in Interactive Media from Elon University.

Born in North Carolina, raised in Georgia, Kate lives in Chattanooga, Tenn., where she works as a social media maven and kick-ass writer covering the lovely South.

Follow Kate on Twitter @kate3robertson and check out her blog, A Thought and a Half.

January 10, 2016
15 Things I’m Thankful for in 2015 – Top Pretty Southern Moments

I’ve always loved writing “year in review” columns.

Before I sat down to write this year’s recap, I took a look back my top 14 moments of 2014. Last year, I wrote it was the best year yet for Pretty Southern; clearly, I had no idea what this year would have in store.

Here are our top 15 moments of 2015 on PrettySouthern.com

1. Breaking the internet in Charleson – I’ll go ahead and say it: I’ve never had an adrenaline rush like this before. Our contributing blogger, Jenn Ciccarelli, wrote a post about her experience living in Charleston as a 30-something single girl. Her story gave us the biggest traffic day in the history of this blog. We got more than 43,000 hits in one day! We had 80,000+ hits for the week plus reached readers in all 50 states and more than 100 countries. We ended up having to take the post down. I went on Charleston’s local radio, Mix 96, to talk about the experience.

2. Our “home block party” with Tex’s Tacos – this event easily makes one of my top food blogger experiences…ever! Earlier this year, the lovely Katherine Kimbrell reached out to me asking if we’d do a post about her food truck, Tex’s Tacos, for the blog. We got the Atlanta Food Bloggers Society involved to host a tasting at Pretty Southern headquarters. Having a food truck parked in my own front yard is definitely a highlight of my time as a food blogger.

Check out my Tastemade video of our event

Tex’s Tacos

Editor’s note: Before continuing, quick shoutout to Mara Davis and Hilary Harmon for the opportunity to collaborate on launching Tastemade in Atlanta!

3. Brunch with Hugh Acheson – Thanks to Erica Key and the team at Yellow Pages (YP), we had the opportunity to brunch with renowned chef Hugh Acheson at his first Atlanta restaurant, Empire State South. “Being in Georgia has meant a ton to me, and Atlanta has really come to terms with itself,” he told our group who gathered to celebrate his new book, The Broad Fork.

Hugh Acheson with yours truly

4. UGA vs. Alabama – Granted this football game was literally a wash for the Dawgs, but we had a blast partying in the rain. Kudos to Lynn Lilly and her team at Craft Box Girls for hosting the perfect #GameDay tailgate with Georgia Beef Board. Check out this awesome recap video with us tailgating in the rain!

5. Trying to lose #15in15 – this year started off with a goal of losing 15 pounds in 2015. By spring, I’d lost 8 lbs. thanks largely in part to spinning at Cyc Fitness. Huge shoutout to the Cyc Atlanta team, Kelsey Walker, and Liz Lapidus PR for letting me participate in the #SpringIntoChange challenge.

Cycologist Annie Czarnecki and yours truly after a ride

6. The first-ever Shaky Boots festival – The inaugural Shaky Boots festival rocked Kennesaw like no other music festival has in North Georgia ever before. Katy Ruth Camp and I had a blast covering this two-day event. We even shotgunned a beer with the guys from Eli Young Band!

7. Tori Allen’s Monthly Meetups – Talk about a mover and shaker in this town, Tori Allen is a lady-in-the-know. She’s doing fabulous work representing Atlanta’s drinking and dining establishments, plus working her tail off to raise awareness the Atlanta Community Food Bank. In addition to all her PR efforts, every month she hosts a networking mixer for our group of writers, editors, bloggers, and social media mavens. Here’s my favorite pic from our September meetup at Gypsy Kitchen.

8. Georgia Grinders Dinner – The lovely Jaime Foster, founder of NaturAlmond prepared a multiple-course dinner featuring her products for the Atlanta Food Bloggers Society. Thanks to Jaime and Debbie Rosen of The Rosen Group for this opportunity. Check out this recap from Roger & Eve at Friday Date Night. From left to right: Lia Picard, Debbie Rosen, Jaime Foster, Roger Strauss, Linda Carmical, Jennifer Harris, Denise Romeo, and Eve Kofsky

9. McKendrick’s Media Dinner – We named McKendrick’s to our list of the Top 10 Atlanta Steakhouses, and were tickled pink (or should I say medium rare?) to attend their VIP media dinner. The first course was an oyster trio, followed by a seafood sampler of crab, shrimp, and lobster. The salad course was a tomato, basil and mozzarella salad drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette. Our entree was a perfectly cooked filet mignon, for dessert we had chocolate & peanut butter pie. Did I mention the wine pairings with each course? Thanks to Noelle Jackson and the McKendrick’s team for the best meal I had in 2015!

10. Grady College Centennial – my beloved journalism school, UGA’s Grady College of Journalism & Mass Communication, turned 100 this year! The #Grady100 was a huge success. At the black-tie gala this year in Athens, Governor Nathan Deal attended as keynote speaker. Big shoutouts to Diane Hill Murray, Karen Andrews, Dr. Parker Middleton, and Dean Charles Davis for this amazing year celebrating our college.

From left to right: Dave Perez, Brooke Stevens Perez, yours truly, and Kevin Patrick

11. Chama Gaucha opening – another fabulous foodie outing this year was the opening of Chama Gaucha in Buckhead. Thanks to The Reynolds Group for inviting us to the VIP opening dinner. Check out our Tastemade recap.

Chama Gaucha

12. Taste of the Nation- This annual event has been on my Atlanta blogger bucket list for awhile. Ever since I worked at Jezebel magazine in 2008, I wanted to attend Taste of the Nation. This incredible evening benefits Share Our Strength and No Kid Hungry. This year more than $740,000 was raised in hopes of bringing an end to childhood hunger. Thank you to Denise Romeo for letting me be your plus one!

Denise Romeo of We Like 2 to Cook and yours truly

13. Jeffrey Fashion Cares – This is another event which has been on my blogger bucket list for years. Jeffrey Fashion Cares is one of Atlanta’s biggest charity events of the year benefitting both the Atlanta AIDS Fund and Susan G. Komen Atlanta. It was one of the best nights of 2015. Thanks to Caren West PR and her team for including us.

Tova Gelfond of Eide Magazine and Lookbook Atlanta with yours truly on the red carpet

14. Taste of Atlanta – Since we launched Pretty Southern in 2011, the team at BRAVE PR has kindly partnered with us for promoting #TasteofATL. For Taste of Atlanta 2015, I was part of the #FoodPorn patrol! You can check out all of our delicious pictures here.

15. Working with y’all! Pretty Southern wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for you, dear reader! I have to take a moment to highlight our contributors: Kate Robertson, Katy Ruth Camp, and Mandy Morgan. Double kudos again to Jenn Cicarelli for breaking the internet in Charleston. I also want to introduce our newest contributor, Rachel Perkins! A senior at the University of Georgia, we’re excited to feature Rachel’s stories about life in Athens. Check out her first post here.

Thank you once again to our public relations partners at BRAVE PR, Caren West and Lauren Klopfenstein of Caren West PR, The Reynolds Group, Baddish Group, Morgan Dyches and Emily at Melissa Libby PR, Noelle Jackson, Tori Allen, Pineapple PR, Liz Lapidus, Kelsey Walker, Kitsy Rose, Lorrie Dixson, Jody and Debbie Rosen of the Rosen Group. Granted 2015 isn’t quite over yet, but we can’t wait to see what 2016 has on deck!

November 30, 2015
The Perfect Girls’ Getaway at Barnsley Resort

Nestled in the back roads of Bartow County is the stunning, picturesque Barnsley Resort.

Stepping onto the resort property was like entering a fairy tale world…and in north Georgia, who knew? Your stress melts away in the spa. Each meal is perfectly paired with its wine companion. The entire resort drips in Southern charm. Before I talk about my perfect girls’ getaway at Barnsley Resort, I’d like to give y’all a bit of history about the resort. If you need to travel by plane in order to unwind on resorts like this and there were some flight mishaps, you may read here about compensation for delayed flights.

Barnsley Resort’s namesake, Godfrey Barnsley, was a wealthy Englishman who came to Georgia to work in the cotton industry. Barnsley purchased the land, some 4,000 acres that once belonged to Cherokee Indians, in the 1840s. He dreamed of building an estate to please the love of his life, Julia, but she died young and did not get to see his hard work. Barnsley devoted the rest of his life to creating the perfect estate and gardens to honor Julia. Barnsley’s later generations kept the estate up and running until the 1940s. It became Barnsley Gardens Resort in 1991, after being purchased and restored by a Bavarian prince.

Now, Barnsley Resort is a destination for hundreds of families in the region. Needless to say, it was the perfect place for a girls’ weekend with a wonderful group of Atlanta-area bloggers. I suggest to pack overnight bags women and book a trip now. I was fortunate to experience the beauty and charm of the resort with the #BRGirlsGetaway gals, and did we have a fantastic time.

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The girls’ getaway kicked off with an incredible lunch at the Woodlands Grill. When we sat down, we had cheese and charcuterie plates waiting for us, on top of ordering our entrees. And, on top of that, they treated us to small plates of their other appetizers, including fried green tomatoes, shrimp, foraged mushroom flatbread and more. I hardly had any room for my (enormous) Woodlands Burger after munching on cheese and treats.

After lunch and a short tour of the resort property, half of the group headed to the spa, while my group hopped on horseback for a trail ride through the meadows surrounding Barnsley. That was my first time on a horse in at least 10 years, and I think I handled it pretty well! I didn’t fall off, so that’s a step in the right direction. Boating is a wonderful way to enrich your lifestyle. If you’re ready to buy a boat, make sure to check out the used and new models on Zeboats.

Another highlight of the day was my hour-long “Inner Peace” spa treatment. Talk about relaxation! My specialist dry-brushed all my dead skin away, treated me with anti-inflammatory ginger oil, gave a foot massage and finished off with a face treatment with Thai herb balls. I didn’t fall asleep, but I came mighty close. That was definitely the most relaxed I’ve felt in a long time. The other ladies spoke highly of their detox treatments, full massages and facials, too.

Before the evening’s activities, I had a chance to explore my romantic guest room. Barnsley Resort offers 90 guest rooms and suites, each inspired by 19th-century European village cottages. Each guest room is decorated differently, making each one uniquely luxurious. Adding to the European flair was a plate of orange-cranberry scones, apple cider butter and crabapple jam waiting for me as I walked in the door. Had I been whisked back to England? I’ll never say no to scones and jam, even if I know a wonderful dinner is fast approaching.

Dinner at the Manor Ruins was magical. We were welcomed with small appetizers–mini lobster rolls and deviled eggs–and met the resident historian and storyteller, Clent Coker. He shared a history of the resort and told a few treasured stories before we sat down for a five-course dinner prepared by executive sous chef Roberto Guzman. But not only did we enjoy an amazing meal: each course was paired with a wine by Barnsley’s “wine snob” Greg Teague (seriously, “wine snob” is his actual job title). I’m usually not a red wine person, but the Corte Alla Flora paired wonderfully with the braised duck appetizer. I absolutely loved my bison ribeye entree, and I could have eaten three helpings of the chai creme brulee.

And all of that was just in one day! I didn’t get to stick around for day 2 of shooting clays and more delicious food, but I know I’ll be back again. There’s so much more to Barnsley Resort than can be experienced in one day alone. Chattanooga isn’t but an hour away.
Want to see more from the #BRGirlsGetaway adventures? Check it out on Twitter and Instagram!

Kate Robertson is a features writer for Pretty Southern and a Virginia Tech alumna. She also holds an M.A. in Interactive Media from Elon University.

Born in North Carolina and raised in Georgia, Kate hopes to further her career as a social media maven and kick-ass writer in the lovely southeast.

Follow Kate on Twitter @kate3robertson and check out her blog, A Thought and a Half.

October 1, 2015
8 Things I’ll Miss About Living in North Carolina

My family’s roots are in North Carolina. My parents were raised and went to college there, and I was born in a small town in the southeastern part of the state. We moved from North Carolina when I was 5 years old, but my extended family still lives here; my parents and I visit several times a year.

I spent the last year at Elon University, which is about 25 minutes east of Greensboro. Even though I’ve visited North Carolina several times a year for my whole life, living in the area has reminded me of what makes this state so special. Now that I’m moving to Tennessee for my first job out of grad school, I’ve been reflecting on my home state and what I’ll miss about living here. I’m definitely excited to move to a new city, but maybe I’m not quite ready to bid adieu to the great Tar Heel state.

Here are eight top reasons I’ll miss living in North Carolina.

Mmmm, Smithfield’s.

1. Barbecue: If you meet anyone from North Carolina and they claim they don’t like barbecue, they’re not telling the truth. Everyone in this state loves barbecue, and everyone has a staunch opinion on what kind of barbecue is superior. Lexington style (more common in western parts of the state) is sweeter and smoky, often topped with a tomato-based sauce. Eastern style is tangy and accompanied by a vinegar-based sauce. I’m a Lexington girl, but I will never say no to some Smithfield’s Chicken & BBQ (which is more Eastern). And down here, “barbecue” is a food, not something you do in the back yard.

Hey Smithfields, can y’all air-drop me some ‘cue once a month or so?

2. Beaches: To me, nothing beats a North Carolina beach. My dad grew up going to Holden Beach on the southern coast, and my parents and I went there in the summers until I was 13. My grandfather then sold his beach house, and unfortunately we haven’t been back. I have the fondest memories of body-boarding in the playful waves, teaching myself to skimboard and hunting for the perfect seashells on the white sand wearing a sun visor. While I didn’t make it to the beach in the last year, it was nice knowing I was close enough to go if I wanted to. If you want the ultimate beach getaway, you might also want to check out the best beaches in Texas.

3. Biscuitville: I’m not kidding, y’all. Try one of their hot, delicious pimento cheese and bacon biscuits and tell me it’s not amazing. Watching the bakers knead the dough and cut out biscuits makes your mouth water in a hot second. Nothing beat a bacon-egg-and-cheese biscuit with cheese grits on a Saturday morning. Biscuitville over Bojangles, always.

4. Close to Family: This is the closest I’ve lived to my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins since my parents and I lived in NC ourselves, way back in the 90s. My mom’s family all live outside of Charlotte, so they’re only about 2 hours from me at Elon. Weekend visits were easy and relaxing. It’s been so nice to be able to see them more often.

5. College (ACC) Basketball: With UNC, NC State, Wake Forest and Duke (barf) all close by, November through March or April (depending on how the seasons finished) are crazy with blue, red and gold. It’s a sin to like more than one North Carolina college team, so you learn to answer accordingly. We’re in the heart of ACC country so during those months there’s a game on my TV every day. I hope the SEC faithfuls in Tennessee won’t mind my ACC fandom. Do I have to learn to sing “Rocky Top” in return?

6. Southern Charm: This goes without saying. We’ll always smile and wave, even if we don’t know you from Adam. I know that’s all over the South, but I do love seeing it around here. North Carolina has so much charm to offer, from its cities to its small towns, from its mountains to its coasts, and everything in between.

7. Weather: Can we say “yes” to having all four seasons? The summers are stunning, if not a bit humid, and the winters are (usually) mild. We get a clear spring and a clear fall, even if they are a bit prolonged. My boots and customized scarves do get worn! And only some of us lose our minds when it snows…not all of us. As a native of North Carolina, I was always excited to see the first snowfall of the season. There’s something about the crisp, cold air and the blanket of white that makes the world seem fresh and new. But over the past few years, I’ve noticed that snowfall in North Carolina is becoming less and less common. In fact, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, North Carolina has seen a significant decrease in snowfall over the past few decades.

While this may be a welcome change for some, it’s concerning to others who depend on snow for their livelihoods. Ski resorts, for example, have been struggling in recent years due to the lack of snow. And farmers who grow winter wheat rely on cold temperatures to kill off pests and diseases as noted by pest control services. So while I still enjoy seeing the occasional snowfall, I can’t help but worry about what it means for our state. But when the pest control technician conducts the inspection and does the pest control service, which helps control unwanted pests and prevent damages caused by pests, that’s when I feel safe and comfortable.

Before even hiring a Pest Control service, you might want to learn about it first, what they do and what is the cost of it.

And lastly…

Red & white wines from Stony Mountain Vineyards, Albemarle, NC

8. Wine & Beer: I’m not a big beer person, but oh my goodness, North Carolina wine is awesome. Traditional NC wine is made from scuppernong and muscadine grapes, which are sweeter than regular grapes, and twice as delicious. I loved exploring wineries in the Triad and tasting all of their varieties and blends. As for beer, Red Oak is king, followed by Natty Greene’s. Both are brewed fresh in Greensboro, and can be found in every grocery store’s beer aisle in Guilford and Alamance counties. If I could take Red Oak and some scuppernong wine to Tennessee, I totally would. Dearest North Carolina, you’ve always been good to me. This won’t be a goodbye, just a “see you later.” Plus, when my parents’ lake house is done, I’ll be visiting you a lot more often than twice a year.

Kate Robertson is a features writer for Pretty Southern and a Virginia Tech alumna. She also holds an M.A. in Interactive Media from Elon University.

Born in North Carolina and raised in Georgia, Kate hopes to further her career as a social media maven and kick-ass writer in the lovely southeast.

Follow Kate on Twitter @kate3robertson and check out her blog, A Thought and a Half.

June 24, 2015
Get Fit at Freedom Fit Gym

Summer is coming, and that means swimsuit season is coming, too. Everyone wants to get in great shape to turn heads at the beach.

Joel (center) and his family celebrate Freedom Fit Gym’s grand opening!

For Joel McCauley, being fit and healthy isn’t just for summer. It’s an all-the-time routine and lifestyle. If you want to get started, you may check out this blog.

It’s this belief that lead Joel to open Freedom Fit Gym in Ashland, Va. He’s extremely excited about his small-business venture, and I’m so excited to share it with y’all here on Pretty Southern! After all, we do love our small businesses. In a gym or leisure center environment where customers are exercising without supervision, it is easy to think you do not need to take much action, but as the owner or manager, both your staff and customers’ well-being is your responsibility. So I considered this gym risk assessment support from Avensure to ensure that my center is compliant with HSE regulations.

Joel is one of my close friends from college. He’s a certified personal trainer (CPT), and has wanted to open his own gym since he was a teenager. Helping people is in his blood. Operating his own gym gives Joel the opportunity to help people achieve their personal health and fitness goals and teach them about living healthfully. And going the small-business route lets him do it his way. He started working as a personal trainer just one month after graduating from college. He’s competed in baseball and track, and has also done bodybuilding competitions. All of his experience, combined with years of studies and research on the best methods, diets and healthful habits will help him help his clients at Freedom Fit Gym reach their goals.

“My hope is to create a space where people feel like they can come to better themselves,” Joel says. He wants Freedom Fit Gym to be a place “where people can come to make progress” toward their fitness goals and personal health. You can check out this source if you want to get started in juice cleansing.

At the gym, Joel offers open workout space with a wide variety of machines and equipment including ones from Allvibrationplates.com, personal training sessions and small-group bodyweight and powerlifting classes. In addition, he can craft custom nutrition plans to optimize clients’ diets for the best results.

Most of all, though, Joel knows that movement is a gift that should be celebrated. We are made to move, and Joel wants us to be able to celebrate our gifts to the best of our abilities, all year round. So if you have any kids, you can entice them to keep moving by providing them with the right gifts. All you have to do is to know where are the best outdoor playhouses and perhaps other suitable gifts as well.

“Now is the perfect time to get my dream started,” he says. “I can grow my business as long as people come to me.” And that’s just what we want, too!

Want to follow Joel’s journey and learn more about Freedom Fit Gym? He’s on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and has a website and blog!

All photos courtesy of Joel McCauley.

Kate Robertson is a features writer for Pretty Southern and a Virginia Tech alumna. She also holds an M.A. in Interactive Media from Elon University.

Born in North Carolina and raised in Georgia, Kate hopes to further her career as a social media maven and kick-ass writer in the lovely southeast.

Follow Kate on Twitter @kate3robertson and check out her blog, A Thought and a Half.

June 9, 2015
Good Manners Never Go Out of Style

When Southern babies are born, one thing is immediately instilled in them: good manners. “Please” and “thank you” are taught right after “ma-ma” and “da-da.” Leave off a “ma’am” or a “sir” after a “yes” or “no” just once, and it will be the last time you ever do. Southern charm starts with a smile and a wave, whether you know the person or not. It’s just what we do.

My boyfriend Kevin is a born and bred New Jerseyan (we met in college at Virginia Tech). Sometimes his bold Jerseyness comes out quite predominantly, and still takes me by surprise, even after knowing him for almost four years. But bless him, he’s slowly adapting to the Southern ways of life.

Back in November, he visited me in North Carolina from Blacksburg for a weekend. We made a quick trip to Harris Teeter one afternoon to pick up a few items for dinner that night. When we’d paid, the lady at the register told us to have a nice day, and Kevin responded with, “Thank you ma’am, you, too.” When we were outside, Kevin said, “Man, it feels so good to be in a place where I can say things like that.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, puzzled. “Why can’t you say that anywhere else?” He chuckled.

“If I said something like that at home in Jersey, people would tell me to go to hell, probably with a certain hand gesture.”

Umm…what? I was genuinely confused. Was he joking? The thought of someone being unfriendly about a polite “thank you, ma’am” did not compute in my head. Who spit in their grits? Apparently some people can’t be bothered to say something nice, or even smile, when someone greets them. Were manners not part of their raising? Is “ma’am” or “sir” offensive? Maybe they think “ma’am” makes them sound old, and that offends them.

I really hope he was joking.

My freshman year of college, my boyfriend at that time was visiting my family in Pennsylvania from his small hometown in central Virginia. As we pulled out of my driveway one morning, we passed a neighbor out for his morning run. Boyfriend waved and smiled out of politeness, but when the neighbor didn’t return the gesture, he seemed upset, even offended.

“He didn’t wave back,” he huffed. “That was rude.” I didn’t disagree.

I’ve never understood why good manners—and general politeness—aren’t common everywhere. It’s not hard to smile or say “please” and “thank you,” and it makes a world of difference. A biting response—or no response at all—can dull someone’s sparkle just as much as a smile and, “hey there, sugar,” can brighten it.

Good manners transcend geographical boundaries, and they will never go out of style.

Kate Robertson is a features writer for Pretty Southern, a Virginia Tech alumna, and a current graduate student at Elon University in North Carolina. She’s working toward her MA in Interactive Media, and afterwards hopes to further her career as a kick-ass writer.

Originally from Atlanta, Kate enjoys exploring the Piedmont region of North Carolina, especially its wide offerings of wineries. Follow her on Twitter @kate3robertson and check out her blog, A Thought and a Half.

February 6, 2015

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