A woman in Hoover puts a chocolate cake in her cart, and her husband says nothing about the diet she’s supposedly on. He knows better. Certain things come out of the Publix bakery case and go straight into family lore. These are the Publix bakery buys that Alabama shoppers refuse to give up. 1. Key…
A man in Austin drives past the H-E-B two blocks from his house, gets on MoPac, and keeps going for twenty minutes. Ask him why and he’ll start talking about a cheese counter, and he won’t stop for a while. These are the H-E-B locations Texans drive across town for. 1. Central Market North Lamar…
Think good manners in South Carolina means saying please and thank you? That’s the entry fee. The rest runs deeper, through the two-finger wave on a back road in Aiken County and the dish you’re expected to send back full. These are the Southern manners South Carolinians still expect from newcomers. 1. Speak First South…
A New York transplant walks into a deli in Tucson and orders a bacon, egg, and cheese on a roll. The cook reaches for a croissant. That moment, right there, is why so many New Yorkers never fully leave New York behind. These are the things they refuse to give up, wherever the map takes…
A couple from New Jersey signs for a house near Charleston, expecting mild winters and a smaller tax bill. They get both, plus a few things the listing left out. Some of the surprises make them cheer; others send them out for bug spray. These are the surprises that greet people who retire in South…
A driver from Oregon signals to change lanes on a Houston freeway and starts counting the lanes to her left. She loses track somewhere past ten. Then a truck ahead slides onto the shoulder and waves her forward, and she has no idea what just happened. These are the Texas driving habits that catch out-of-staters…
Floridians and snowbirds get along fine, right up until the left lane. These are the habits transplants bring south that leave Floridians shaking their heads. Complaining It’s Too Hot Floridians expect a little heat talk. But newcomers take it to another level by August. A transplant from Buffalo steps outside in July, gasps at the…
Many people move to Florida for the sunshine and figure they already know what a hot summer feels like. Then the first July sets them straight. These are the summer realities Florida transplants underestimate until they live through one. Afternoon Storms on Schedule A Florida summer keeps a daily appointment that catches new arrivals off…
A guy from Roanoke tells a coworker in Denver he grew up in RoVA, not NoVA. She nods, completely lost, and asks if that’s near the coast. He tries again with the 757 and Tidewater, and now she’s more confused than before. These are the words only Virginians throw around without thinking twice. Commonwealth, Not…
A cousin from out of state visits California for a week and comes home an expert. They’ll tell you it’s all beaches, celebrities, and traffic. But they only saw one corner of it. These are the things people keep getting wrong about California. Always Warm and Sunny California doesn’t hand out beach weather year-round, and…
