I’m from Dallas, Texas, but never really saw myself as southern until I arrived at WashU. I came here with four other kids from my high school and various others from the Dallas area. However, most of the friends I have made here are from the Northeast and have never even been to Texas. This has made me more aware of my southern roots and I’ve realized that there are some familiar things from my life in Dallas that my friends here cannot relate to.
1) Y’all
I’ve heard that I don’t seem southern until I use this word. I know that I often incorporate it into every few sentences but I just can’t help it.
2) Oversized T-shirts
I wear a size small and should probably buy my t-shirts in this size. However, somehow I always end up buying them intentionally too big because it’s the southern way. My mom would always ask me if I was wearing shorts when I left the house because my t-shirt was too big and covered them.
Now when my friends in their normal fitting t-shirts look at me weird, I assure them that contrary to popular opinion, I am actually wearing shorts and they just can’t see them.
3) Fear of Cold
I have been asked multiple times since I’ve been here if it ever snows in Dallas. There is actually (sometimes) snow in Texas and when there is, the whole city shuts down. Despite my limited exposure to the cold, I know that I hate it and these past few days of cooler fall weather have me dreading a real winter.
4) Monograms
I don’t consider myself preppy, but one look at my stuff suggests otherwise. Everyone monograms everything in the South. By default I have accumulated my fair share of monogrammed items, ranging from a water bottle to a blanket to pj shorts.
By Lea Meyers
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