The South and The North

Well, a few weeks ago my family and I made the 1000 mile move from Southwest Louisiana to the suburbs of Chicago! It still sounds strange!

I've jotted down some of my thoughts and discoveries:

• Basements! My kids love the basements that almost every house has (by the way, a house without a basement is called a "slabber")
• Although I have yet to have tried a real deep dish pizza, the ones that I've tried are amazing! I'm sure that from now on I will make a face when offered Pizza Hut pizza ;)
• I do not like the death total tracker on the highway.
• I've always heard of "southern hospitality" but people up here are very welcoming also! 
• The weather has been beautiful! It's great to work an hour on my hair and knowing that it isn't a waste of time once I step outside.
• Spiders are to Illinois as snakes are to Louisiana.
• My door is the only one in this sub-division with a burlap/deco-mesh wreath.
• School doesn't start until… ready?…. 8:45!! 
• I say "roof" (as in "boo"). They say "roof" (as in "took"). "Twas The Night Before Christmas" makes a little more sense now.
• There isn't a church on every other block here.
• People on bicycles wear helmets but people on motorcycles do not (for the most part).
• I'm curious to see if my kids will wear black and gold or orange and blue on October 6th.
• Car-line takes 15 minutes! I love the idea but if it was applied back home, somebody would get run over.
• I almost wish we would have gotten a home in a bus-zone so I could hibernate this winter.
• I hope I don't offend people when I say "ma'am" and "sir".
• College football isn't all that popular here. Eric seems to think it's because there aren't any good teams to cheer for. 
• Even though alligator bites, etouffee, or sauce piquante aren't on the menu, the food here is VERY good!
• Gracie now says "cAARRR" instead of "car".

Disclaimer: this is not meant to offend the cajuns or the yankees.