This Northern Gal Goes South

Being in North Carolina this weekend for the She Speaks conference was such a delight. I could almost feel my pulse settle into a slower rhythm while I was there. The highways weren't so crowded or frenetic feeling. People in shops and restaurants were friendly and polite. And then there were the drawling accents - the langurous "y'alls" and "girlfriends" that peppered conversations with Southern sweetness.

The best part of this was listening to my inner voice pick up that drawl and carry it into all my interior monologues and thoughts. I was much kinder to myself while down South. Even if I had wanted to say to myself, "What were you thinking, you idiot!" after some social misstep (which always generates that kind of reaction from my inner voice - it's a very, very hard-to-please type), "Well now, what were y'all thinking, girlfriend?" always comes off half as harsh. Which had me wishing there was some way I could stay.

And then there was the sweet tea. I'm a tea drinker through and through. Die hard. I brew my first cup while still in my pajamas. Hot or cold, I love tea - with LOTS of sugar. Around here, you get your tea without sugar, or if it's sweetened, it's only mildly so. But sweet tea in North Carolina? Now that I could live with every day. Yep, I was thinking I could have me some sweet tea like that all the time. Y'all know what I mean?

But this Northern gal is back home now. And while she may be driving faster and talking flatter, her pulse is still lazing along Southern style. It was such a pleasure to visit North Carolina and be treated to a retreat-like conference hosted by the wonderful team of Proverbs 31 Ministries. I'd go back in a Northern heartbeat.