OK Betty, you asked. I was raised in Southern California. I've since lived all over the world. Went to school in Miami, FL, which really isn't part of this planet, so it wouldn't qualify as south of anything. Talk about alien life. Anyways, I also lived four years in Columbia, SC. A beautiful state. Learned alot down there, particularly about the revolutionary war as so much of it was fought down there. But.....I was a woman in a professional job (gasp). I was a "yankee" (called that many times, even though as of then I had never lived farther north than South Carolina, and was, in fact, from CA). Oh, what a combination. I think it was more the fact that I was a woman doing an "unfeminine" job, I guess (I was a geologist). While I thought the state was beautiful, I would never consider living there again as I'm not a native. Then we moved to upstate NY for 5 1/2 years. What shocked me the most is how alike it was to SC in appearance, as well as the friendliness of the people. However, I came to really love NY. No sexual discrimination the like of which I experienced in NY. EXTREMELY friendly people. I think because we had so much bad weather there so much of the year (average 160" of snow), people really pulled together. You really have to make an effort to make and keep friendships when you have to get through seven foot walls of snow to get anywhere. Because the economy is so depressed up there and not getting any better, we had to look elsewhere to move forward economically. Now, we're in the midwest (gulp again). I know there are people here from my area (hi Joanne!), but so far, after a year, I'm not quite at home yet. People here are much more reserved than I'm used to, and they drive like maniacs! (Who doesn't, these days though). So.....my opinion on the North/South stuff? Give me California!!!!!!!! I want to go hoooooommmmmeeeee!!!!! (If anyone needs a fifty page opinion on why I love CA, just ask!) I keep clicking my heels, but so far it's not working:) Barb