This I love...and this I can live without!

It only took a few hours for me to start recognizing the distinct differences between North Carolina and Virginia...here are just a few of my observations.

THE WAVE ZONE: The closer I got to "home," the first thing I noticed was that people wave at you. I knew it before, mind you; but it had been so long. And, it's not a big deal. Just a little wave, a couple of fingers lifted from the steering wheel or a nod of the head; but local folks wave, acknowledge their neighbor, in brief encounters on the roadways. It took some time to get accustomed to this collocialism. At first, I felt as if I was being rude, by failing to wave back in time. I would give a wave out the window, hoping they were looking in their rearview mirror. Now, though, it's second nature again, and I'm waving at strangers like a local. I'm even waving first! I love that.

HALLELUJAH FOR THE MERGE LANES!: The highway system in the great state of North Carolina may have congestion and pot holes and roadkill every quarter mile, but we also have merge lanes. Oh my goodness, how I have missed merge lanes. Actually, they are called "acceleration lanes" because the purpose of the lane is to allow the vehicle to accelerate to the posted speed by the end of the lane and then successfully merge with the traffic on the highway with as little interruption in the flow of traffic as necessary. Nifty concept, huh? For whatever reason, the expressway around Lynchburg does not include merge lanes; and, invariably, during the morning or afternoon commute, there is at least one horrific accident per day--probably caused by some unsuspecting tourist who is astonished that the merge lane is not really a merge lane a milli-second before causing the pile up. Merge lanes...I love 'em!

WELCOME TO HOT CAROLINA: We also have plenty of heat and humidity in North Carolina. We are still two weeks from the official start of summer, but temperatures have soared past 100 degrees on several days. Add in 60% humidity and it feels like it's 105 or 109 degrees. After a two-year absence, I had almost forgotten that from May to September I just need to plan on being "damp" almost 24 hours a day. One thing that I have enjoyed about Virginia is the weather. My little part of Virginia has seasons. We have summer, when it warms up; we have fall, when the leaves change and the air gets crisp; we have winter, when it gets cold and there's snow and ice and we wear coats, gloves, and boots; and then there is spring, when the birds return and ever so slowly the warmth returns. I like that. I like having four seasons. North Carolina's four seasons--or at least my hometown's for seasons--are warm, hot, hell, and warm. When I lived in North Carolina, I didn't own a coat, and never wore long sleeves unless the forecasted temperature was below 40 degrees. As a matter of fact, the only reason to wear long sleeves is because of the indoor temperature, not the outdoor temperature. Most stores, theatres, and businesses keep the air conditioner set so low in the summer that you'll get a chill inside--that's the only time you need long sleeves. Being hot, humid, and damp from May to September, I can live without that!

NO AIR: And it took me a few days to, once again, grow accustomed to the lack of wind or breeze in North Carolina. The air is so still. It's almost eerie. In Lynchburg, there's a constant 5-10 mph wind. I remember how frustrating it was when I first moved there and tried to have every hair in place before leaving for school in the morning. Well, that plan was only good until I opened the front door. And, in Virginia, it didn't take long to realize that you not only had to listen to the temperature forecast for the day, but also the wind speed and its source. Even if the temperature is forecasted for 60 degrees, if the forecast included a 20 mph "breeze" from the north, put on a coat because you're going to need it. A few nights after arriving in North Carolina, I was just so miserably hot that I couldn't sleep. So, about 4:30 a.m. I decided to go out on the front porch for some fresh air--believing that it would be cooler outside than in. I just stood there on the front porch in disbelief. Not a single leaf was moving. There was no wind, no breeze. The air was thick with humidity and it seemed that the tree branches were so heavy with humidity that they couldn't move. I really miss the breeze and would trade my perfect hair style for it.

THE STREET NAME REMAINS THE SAME: One thing I know about my little town is that if I am on Mulberry Street, I will remain on Mulberry Street until Mulberry Street is no more. However, in Lynchburg, if I am on Piper Street, it may become Langhorne Avenue in two blocks (with no warning) or Piper Street may turn to the right at the next intersection and Langhorne Avenue just "begins." A street name can change names or directions two, three or more times! Ugh!! What sadist would do this? I suppose it was the same guy who said, "Merge lanes are a waste of money." I do love the fact that my hometown's street names are generally going to stay the same mile after mile.

It's about twenty miles from my hometown to the nearest interstate. Along the way there are hay fields, tobacco fields, corn fields, and strawberry patches. On any given day, you may find yourself trucking along at 20 mph behind a tractor or harvester. I have missed that. Yes, sometimes that can be frustrating; but, I honestly have missed it! On my drive to the interstate yesterday, I found myself wishing that I were a passenger instead of the driver. I wanted to soak in all of the sights to the left and right of me. I found it hard to concentrate on driving. I never realized it before, but these are things to I know about this place. When there are corn fields to your left and right, and you're the only car on the road, you feel like such an intruder; but for this road, the corn fields would meet. Most of eastern North Carolina is so flat, you can look from one field to another and see where the corn stops and the bean fields start. While I do miss the mountain ranges of Virginia (they do take my breath away); if I must be home, then summertime is the best time to spend here. The earth is alive with green crops of every kind, and a little bit of that life gets into my blood as well.

THE MUSIC: Because of the strong agricultural presence here, North Carolina has a tremendous population of migrant farmers, and most of these workers make North Carolina their home year round. When I left here two years ago, here was one Hispanic radio station; earlier this week, I found at least three while scanning the radio dial. Not so in Virginia, where you're more likely to find a bluegrass channel than a Hispanic channel. And that bluegrass music is growing on me; I have missed it this summer.

In all truth and honesty, I was not thrilled with the prospect of spending my summer in North Carolina. Like all of us, it has its flaws. But, it hasn't been that bad. And, in the midst of busyness of my time here, I have found that there are things I truly love about this place. Those things will always be a part of me. These intangibles made me who I am. I don't think I want to live here, but it will always be home.