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Pit Talk

A taste of the South: a visitor's trip to Chapel Hill

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Just about everyone at UNC has grown up accustomed to good old Southern hospitality, but when my friend visited the South for the first time this weekend, I was on a mission to show her the same warm welcome I’d first gotten in August.

It’s no secret that as New Jerseyans (oh, hush), both she and I are quite unaccustomed to the ways of the South. After some seven months here, though, I can safely say that I’ve been charmed by Carolina. I was determined to show her the same.

Our three-day jaunt around Chapel Hill was led primarily by our quest for good food. The night she arrived, we plopped into a booth at McAlister’s and got her her first real sweet tea.

The best part about it wasn’t watching her revel in her drink (though she did), but rather hearing her squeal every time she heard a Southern accent. And after our waiter joked around with us for a while, she was incredulous.

“Claire,” she whispered. “They’re so nice here.”

The weather was so gorgeous that we ate outside every chance we got. One morning, it was Alpine bagels and freshly squeezed orange juice outside the Union. The next day was brunch at Ye Olde Waffle Shop, where she got a biscuit, but wouldn’t touch the grits. It’s okay. One step at a time.

We split lamb gyros at Med Deli, a spud at McAlister’s (they don’t have those in New Jersey), a pizza at Pepper’s and got YoPo—three times.

On the Sunday it was miraculously, blessedly 76 degrees, we walked for hours in the sunshine. It’s a hike from South Campus to Carrboro, but we made it to the Farmer’s Market by way of some beautiful and winding bike trails.

When we came back, we lounged on the quad for a while, people-watching and getting a little sunburned but relishing the warmth of the cloudless day.

That night, we watched the Heels crush Maryland. Just as importantly, though, we watched an unranked Virginia Tech bring down no-longer-number-one Duke (Were the cheers in Chapel Hill louder than in Virginia that night?). I tried to teach her our alma mater before realizing that was sort of blasphemous, but she cheered with me anyway. It’s true. Everyone hates Duke.

Of course, we also had a P2P ride, complete with an off-key sing-along and a lot of desperate clinging onto the rails as the bus swung wildly around the corners.

By the time my friend left on Monday, she was dreading the New Jersey weather—and New Jersey itself. She assured me she’ll be returning soon, but I had no doubt about that from the start. If I have faith in anything our school can do, it’s the ability to make people fall in love with this place.

What did I miss? What would you do with someone who’s never been to the South before?

Let Pit Talk know by adding a comment below or tweeting us at @PitTalk on Twitter!

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