Sometimes I find myself thinking that I’m possibly from the most boring state to ever achieve statehood — North Carolina.
Traveling to big cities and different states has only encouraged this notion over the years. Last year when I was in Orlando, Fla. for spring break I was awed by the flocks of tourists, the non-stop sunshine and the billion-dollar theme parks. When I went to New York a few years ago for Christmas I was equally enthralled with the sky scrapers, bustling pace and the fact that it truly is “the city that never sleeps.”
But after talking to a few people who have lived in other states, I’m starting to realize that North Carolina might just remain home sweet home to me.
“It’s nice here in New York but I miss the southern hospitality of North Carolinians and sometimes I feel like people are just too busy to stop and think about their lives,” Elizabeth Jones, a North Carolinian who recently moved to New York to go to school, said. “There are more things to do here, but I would much rather just be a tourist and still get to enjoy all the open fields and quaint little shops and eateries that I miss about North Carolina.”
If you wanted to, you could wake up this morning and drive to the Appalachian Mountains for a scenic hike along Grandfather Mountain, then pack up your things and drive down to Wrightsville Beach, on North Carolina’s 484 kilometer coastline. When you’re done with that, you can keep on heading out to the Outer Banks and experience the history and majesty of one of the nation’s first discovered coastlines. I’ve really enjoyed the advantage of having both the mountains and the beach in my state over the years. It means I get to go skiing every winter and to the beach every summer.
Twenty-eight-year Raleigh native Blake Johnson said, “I love exploring all the diverse experiences North Carolina has to offer, including the many prime day trip sites such as the USS North Carolina Battleship and the Asheboro Zoo.”
Since North Carolina was one of the first 13 states, it has a lot of history, which gives the state a little more character and mystery. Some of my favorite childhood stories were about Blackbeard the pirate, who was known to reside in Bath from time to time, and the haunted lighthouses and ghost stories of the Outer Banks. I enjoy living in a state with a little bit of history.
I’m always discovering new things to visit. One of my favorite new discoveries is the North Carolina Art Museum movies, where they play a variety of different movies outside of the art museum on weekends for about $3 a person. I also recently traveled to the Biltmore Estate on a Scholars trip, and despite my ideas of a museum-esque and dull tour of the house, I was surprised with a very interesting sprawling estate that is definitely worth a trip.
Even though it is one of the more humid times of year and the northern regions are looking appealing about now, I still enjoy getting both ends of the spectrum in North Carolina, snow and scorching heat. I would love to be able to wear shorts all year long and not have to own a winter coat, like most Florida natives, but I think I would really miss all the fun things about cold weather, like hot chocolate and sleds.
“Florida was a good state to live in when you’re a kid; my mom never had to tell me to wear my coat and I could play outside year round. When I moved here and saw my first snowfall I was amazed, I got to try skiing, and made my first snowman. It was definitely a huge change, but I really appreciate getting to have both,” said Michael Easton, a Florida native who moved to North Carolina with his family in 1998.
Although NCSU was obviously the best place to pursue my education, I did get to choose from a lot of big name schools. UNC-Chapel Hill boasts one of the best journalism schools in the country and people come from all over the world to attend. Our own alma mater has a world renowned veterinary program and is also well known for the engineering department. The NCSU Web site boasts that the University’s engineering program is the second largest producer of B.S. undergraduate engineering degrees in the United States and third largest producer of all degrees.
Not to even mention Duke, our own “Ivy League” school that is one of the most competitive colleges in the nation, The Princeton Review ranks Appalachian and Campbell universities as two of the best schools in the southeast region. With people coming from all over the globe to get a coveted spot at a North Carolina School, we should feel pretty lucky to get priority and in-state tuition.
Now one of my favorite things about being a North Carolinian is the sports team pride that comes with it. All of our sports teams are great teams to back, and North Carolina fans sure know how to have fun at sporting events. The Carolina Hurricanes just won the Stanley Cup for us — how’s that for sports pride? This is only the Canes’ second finals appearance since 1997 and they already gave us a national title to brag about. This is great publicity for North Carolina, because wins like this will start to help make a name for our state in the sporting world.
“Every time I go to a basketball game, whether it be a State, Duke or Carolina game i know it’s going to be a fun game, win or lose. North Carolina fans are always ready to have a good time with friends and realize that sporting events are about the bonding and grilling out just as much as it is about the game,” said N.C. native Kevin Wakefield.
Although we have had some turmoil with our own basketball team this year, a couple of North Carolina’s basketball teams are certainly on the map. With Chapel Hill winning the whole thing two years ago and Duke coming pretty close this past year; it’s hard to even imagine the basketball world without North Carolina teams. On ESPN’s official college basketball ranking, Duke and UNC-CH both rank in the top 25, with Duke ranking in the top 10.
With two more years of college left, it’s about time for me to start thinking about where I’m going to be able to get a job once I graduate. CNN also ranks North Carolina as having some of the best cities — Cary and Raleigh — to live in financially and with a hugely growing economy. I’m realizing that I have just as good of a chance at getting a good job in North Carolina as in a big city, because the economy is constantly growing.
North Carolina and the Triangle area consistently rank among the nation’s best economies year after year. The State Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that unemployment remains low and per capita income remains high. Our big industries — government, education and healthcare — are virtually recession-proof. Forbes ranks North Carolina as one of the best places for business. The quality of growth and ability to mix old traditions and newcomer influences has shaped a population of vitality and prosperity for North Carolina that I would like to be a part of.
In the end I think it’s a mixture of economy, open air and that good old southern hospitality that is going to keep me in North Carolina. Traveling to other places will always be fun, but North Carolina is ultimately where I want to call home. So everyone who was born and raised a North Carolinian, or even those of you who were just smart enough to move here, can sit back and relax knowing that you are living in the best state in the country.
Share your favorite North Carolina experience with Amy at viewpoint@technicianonline.com.
