Day 149

So far North Carolina looks like California on a bad weather day. I've been on hyper alert for what's different here because I feel like this may be one of my few life chances to visit the South. I'll admit it, I'm having trouble wrapping my head around the idea that I'm in the South yet I'm in "North" Carolina. It's stupid, I know. I'm geographically obtuse. If I ever get to West Virginia my head might explode.

I started studying the people sitting next to me in the terminal and determined that people from North Carolina are: white, and um, white. That's all I've gathered so far. Nothing has struck me as different about anyone yet but I've only been here for half a day.

I realize how futile it is to try to figure out what's different about a place by looking at the airport -- Raleigh-Durham has nice architecture and is unexpectedly high tech -- and driving around the suburbs but I'm on limited time here and must make as many grandiose generalizations as possible.

Two people in the know have directed me towards Waffle House. I'll be ordering hash browns that will be smothered and diced, even if I have no idea what that really means. I hope there are no follow up questions after I confidently declare "smothered and diced" because then I'll be lost. I imagine they might say something like "would you like that gravy train or fly by night?" I'd just nod at something because I'll be too embarassed to ask what they mean. At least I'll be salting my grits, which is the proper way to do it I've been told. I'm going to get Southern cultured quick, I already feel it.

It's also been pointed out to me that this will be the last bastion of indoor smoking because it's tobacco country. That's already one reason to love this place. Perhaps I can convince some people that latex smoking gloves are the hottest thing out west and start a new cultural trend.

I need to go watch some locals and hear them talk. One of Lilly's friends and one of our book club members is from North Carolina and she's got an accent that I assume is indicative of what I'll hear around here. I have my suspicions that Michelle does her best to avoid the real locals so I may have to convince her to take us away from her usual haunts.

In unrelated but related thoughts, I decided awhile ago that I really like Peggy Olson's accent and have been trying to track down where it's from. I have reason to suspect it's a Tennessee accent but I'm holding out hope that it's somewhere less exotic. I mean, I don't think I'll ever go to Tennessee, even if all the girls there talk like Peggy. Then again, I never thought I'd be in North Carolina either and look at me now.