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Northerners will look at you funny with your southern accent, guaranteed. Life in the north is more fast paced, less small town oriented, (unless of course you live in a rather small town), less built on generations of friends, etc. Finding friends shouldn't be too hard, but be prepared to be teased or even complimented, about your accent some, until new friends get used to it, or until you begin to adopt a new one.
Northerners will look at you funny with your southern accent, guaranteed. Life in the north is more fast paced, less small town oriented, (unless of course you live in a rather small town), less built on generations of friends, etc. Finding friends shouldn't be too hard, but be prepared to be teased or even complimented, about your accent some, until new friends get used to it, or until you begin to adopt a new one.
To be perfectly honest, in my 34 years of life in the northern United States (mostly Northeast, Midwest for a tiny bit) I think I've known more people with British accents than Southern accents - discounting African-Americans, who usually sound like Southerners everywhere in the north except for NYC and Boston.
Don't get me wrong, I've known people who moved up here who grew up in Florida, Texas, and Tennessee, among other places. But not one of them spoke with anything but General American. Whether this was due to adult attempts to suppress the accent, or growing up in "northern" enclaves in the South, I'm not sure.
To be perfectly honest, in my 34 years of life in the northern United States (mostly Northeast, Midwest for a tiny bit) I think I've known more people with British accents than Southern accents - discounting African-Americans, who usually sound like Southerners everywhere in the north except for NYC and Boston.
Don't get me wrong, I've known people who moved up here who grew up in Florida, Texas, and Tennessee, among other places. But not one of them spoke with anything but General American. Whether this was due to adult attempts to suppress the accent, or growing up in "northern" enclaves in the South, I'm not sure.
The OP is coming from the University of Mississippi, that is in the deep south, very different from Florida, Texas, and Tennessee, those states are hardly considered southern. Florida is filled mostly with snow birds and retirees from the northern states, has a very small truly southern population. Texas is filled mostly with migrating Mexicans and Californians relocating to Texas due to jobs and lower taxes. Tennessee, depending on where they are from, has a very mild southern accent, and cities like Nashville are filled with a lot of northerners as well. I've lived 3 years in the state of Mississippi, trust me...the accents here are thick, I'm a midwesterner by birth. She likely has a TRUE southern accent like everyone else in Mississippi, and it will be vastly different from people's accents in the Twin Cities or Chicago.
The OP is coming from the University of Mississippi, that is in the deep south, very different from Florida, Texas, and Tennessee, those states are hardly considered southern. Florida is filled mostly with snow birds and retirees from the northern states, has a very small truly southern population. Texas is filled mostly with migrating Mexicans and Californians relocating to Texas due to jobs and lower taxes. Tennessee, depending on where they are from, has a very mild southern accent, and cities like Nashville are filled with a lot of northerners as well. I've lived 3 years in the state of Mississippi, trust me...the accents here are thick, I'm a midwesterner by birth. She likely has a TRUE southern accent like everyone else in Mississippi, and it will be vastly different from people's accents in the Twin Cities or Chicago.
I can assure you that Nashville is not the ruler that should be used to determine Tennessee's accent. The accent is 100% southern and thick even in the Northwest corner of Tennessee. (You know, the same part that borders Missouri) Nothing mild about it.
The OP is coming from the University of Mississippi, that is in the deep south, very different from Florida, Texas, and Tennessee, those states are hardly considered southern. Florida is filled mostly with snow birds and retirees from the northern states, has a very small truly southern population. Texas is filled mostly with migrating Mexicans and Californians relocating to Texas due to jobs and lower taxes. Tennessee, depending on where they are from, has a very mild southern accent, and cities like Nashville are filled with a lot of northerners as well. I've lived 3 years in the state of Mississippi, trust me...the accents here are thick, I'm a midwesterner by birth. She likely has a TRUE southern accent like everyone else in Mississippi, and it will be vastly different from people's accents in the Twin Cities or Chicago.
I'm not saying it will be frowned upon honestly. I'm just saying hearing a white person with a southern accent in the north is such a rare thing that I'm not sure the last time I have run into one. Southerners either don't move north, or they learn to hide their accents really well.
The only southerners who I've met in the North who are somewhat recognizably southern tend to be ex-military, who were stationed up here, got married to someone local, and decided to stay. Even they tone the accent down a notch or two eventually though.
Culturally, most of Maryland's population identifies with the North, including myself. NoVA does, too, but not over half the population of Virginia lives in NoVA.
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Originally Posted by eschaton
I'm not saying it will be frowned upon honestly. I'm just saying hearing a white person with a southern accent in the north is such a rare thing that I'm not sure the last time I have run into one. Southerners either don't move north, or they learn to hide their accents really well.
The only southerners who I've met in the North who are somewhat recognizably southern tend to be ex-military, who were stationed up here, got married to someone local, and decided to stay. Even they tone the accent down a notch or two eventually though.
They're not that uncommon in southern regions of the southern Midwest (Southern Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, or even parts of Kansas), or in southern regions of Maryland and Delaware if you consider them culturally Northern (as most people would).
Life in the north is more fast paced, less small town oriented, (unless of course you live in a rather small town), less built on generations of friends, etc. Finding friends shouldn't be too hard, but be prepared to be teased or even complimented, about your accent some, until new friends get used to it, or until you begin to adopt a new one.
That's a serious overgeneralization. There are plenty of big cities down south with perfectly fast paces and plenty of tiny towns up north where everyone knows everyone. I mean, you can't tell me that Atlanta or Houston is faster paced than rural Vermont... If anything, I see small towns down south eroding even more than small towns in, say, New England.
Truth is, most folks from down south who move north move to or near bigger cities (Chicago, NYC, Boston, etc), but the change in lifestyle is less north/south and more urban/rural.
I have been reading all posts after I started this thread. Maybe I can fill in my expectations to see if I could narrow down all northern states for you guys.
I happen to be a RN so it would be nice to work for one of the finest hospitals in the country. I want a bustling city where I could be easily out in the countryside within 30 minutes whenever I want to get away from the city life sometime. I guess that rules out gigantic NYC and Chicago; Twin Cities is more like my size, for an example.
I am a single young man so it's important for the city to have great single scenes. I also would like to meet a great lady and settle down eventually and have children.
I happen to be a Southern Baptist christian; however, I'm not like most Baptists. I am more moderate to liberal in my political views since I am an authentic Christian. The city doesn't have to be overwhelming educated or liberal but I want open-mindness people.
Most importantly of all, I would love to have a city that has pro sport teams, arts & theatre, opera, and many other cultural happenings and activities such as concerts all year long.
The cost of living should be moderate or no more than 10% higher than the national average. I love to drive so I'm less likely to use public transportation.
Based on my research, I think Twin Cities is my #1 choice. What do you think?
I hope this helps!
You really should check out Ann Arbor, Michigan. The University of Michigan Healthcare System is one of the best in the country, there are a lot of young people due to it being a medical town and a college town, cultural opportunities (things like theater, opera, musical venues, etc.) abound except the professional sports teams, but all of Detroit's professional teams are within an hour of AA and in safe areas of the Detroit Metro. The cost of living is on the high side for Michigan but lower than places like Chicago or NYC. Best of all, you can be in the country in a matter of minutes and at one of the area's great inland lakes, metroparks, or other recreational venues in almost no time at all as compared to a much larger city. The weather is more temperate than the Twin Cities, and of course, Michigan has the Great Lakes with beaches and quaint tourist towns galore.
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