By the glorious years most people refer to as the teenage years, most American kids have been quite a few places around the country. Many have even lived in different places around the country. What I’ve noticed about different parts of the country is there is a very stark contrast in culture.

Take the South and Midwest, for example. More specifically, North Carolina and Ohio. In North Carolina you say soda. In Ohio you say pop. In North Carolina it’s y’all. In Ohio it’s you all.

When I moved to Ohio it was a total culture shock. Coming from the Piedmont region of NC, Canton, Ohio was DIFFERENT, to say the least. Not just the climate either. Buildings were different, gone was the small hint of Southern architecture. The food was different. My favorite grocery stores didn’t even exist up there. But most all, the people were different. The warm southern hospitality I was used to was quickly replaced by the quick hustle and bustle of the urban North. Now that I think about it, culture shock wasn’t even the half of it. It was like a whole new country.

Though my travel experiences have been limited to the eastern coast and the Midwest, I’d say that it’s safe to admit that all regions of the U.S. have totally different cultures. The U.S. is like a bunch of different countries in itself.