i think bud summed it up best when explaining this past weekend in north carolina: "Charlotte: your food is legit, your bars are cool, your people are friendly, your roads are treelined and winding, but best of all you contain a piece of family. Happy to be back in New York but a little homesick after a great weekend."

to elaborate on the above:

your food is legit: our bellies became quite full after eating some serious barbeque at midwood restaurant (might i recommend the bbq pork sandwich?), sipping on beers while rocking on chairs/benches on the front porch (i now have to have a swinging bench when i grow up), burgers a la chef brian and pops, tiff's homemade concoction of mac n' cheese (don't let her tell you she can't cook. it's a lie.), cabo fish tacos (OMG, yum queso dip. YUM.) and chelsea's homemade guacamole that is better than most of the nyc tries i have had!

your bars are cool: snug harbor = pirate bar = keybar of charlotte = fave bar. (although, thirsty beever was closed and could have given pirate bar a run for its money...maybe).

your people are friendly: there is something about the south and the people who charm it. it may be the slower pace (and slower way of speaking) but every where you go, there seems to be someone who wants to talk to you, know your story and ask questions.

your roads are treelined and winding: and you have fireflies, which are my new favorite summer thing.

you contain a piece of family: chels and brian let us stay at their adorable house (thanks guys!). props to their decorating skills which featured brian's awesome artwork (his designs and tee-shirts can be found here) and chelsea's eye for vintage finds. one of my favorites was an old rustic door they added a bird door knocker to and used as a headboard. how smart and thrifty.

most of all, it was just relaxing and perfectly nice to spend time with the family. eat dinners together. swing on porch together. and laugh together.

as the older lady so softly and smoothly said at the airport while rocking in her rocking chair (yes, charlotte has rocking chairs at their airport) - "family is everything".

i was not really sure what to expect from mississippi. coming from streaming taxis, high rise buildings, and nearly everything i could want at my fingertips - i was contemplating how far in the "deep south" i was really going. well, oxford, mississippi is quite charming. instead of high rise buildings with an uptown and a downtown, there is one town square made up of college bars, shops and family owned restaurants. it's state law to stop the car if someone is crossing the street...talk about southern hospitality. i can barely make it onto the subway without being shoved by someone, but that's new york for you - take it or leave it. still, it is nice to hear a southern drawl and even take in some southern cookin' - paula deen style - full of 'butta' and fried 'batta'. so when i was told i would be going to taylor grocery to eat fried catfish, i was a little bit nervous. i mean...catfish? what happened to fried pickles? oh wait...i had those earlier in the day. as well as corndogs. yes, the south is not the place to go healthy my friends.

taylor grocery & restaurant is nice little BYOB joint in taylor, ms. the town of taylor is a small...teeny...tiny...itsy-bitsy weeny town composed of one street: main street, a restaurant: taylor grocery, and a post office. despite its lack of...well population, droves of people will come to this renowned restaurant to get a taste of some southern fried chicken, shrimp & catfish. but the true charm lies in the wait you take for your dinner with friends. everyone sits on the front porch taking in the sunset while enjoying a nice beverage of their choice. it's truly a time to relax, hang out and live life a bit slower - something much needed after a few months in new york city.

dear charlotte,

my trip to the south