Things I miss

[AdminAssistant]

I understand, Blas. I did a little happy dance with Alton Brown said he liked to use a particular kind of rice from Arkansas...even if Dad was a cotton farmer.

[r2cagle]

Trees -- Northern United States has the prettiest GREEN ever... and for fall decor, the closest I've seen down south is Northwest Arkansas around Ouachita (pronounced: wash i ta) National Forest.

Good Friends -- isn't it time they came to visit?

Cheese -- you might have to order stuff online - at least for any specific brand/flavor you are craving. Though you haven't lived until you try pimento cheese spread -- it's an acquired southern taste... I haven't acquired it yet, though.!!

Fish Fry -- I do NOT eat fresh water fish (it's a taste preference thing), but besides catfish, there is perch, bream, bass in the lakes and rivers all over the state. And nothing beats fried food with some Cajun or Southern seasoning in the breading.
You might have to hook up with some dedicated fishermen as they'll know how to do a proper fish fry.

Chiropracter -- sorry, can't help there... I know a really good one in Louisiana though.

Cat -- again, that's probably the bummerest.

Hang in there, my first year down south was the very toughest, I was so homesick. It does get better maybe around year 3-4. My very first month down South, I had an elderly gentleman say that the reason southern women looked so young was because the humidity kept their skin moisturized, and wasn't I fortunate to be able to become a true southern lady... He was sweet, but I'm sure his eyes were brown.

[AdminAssistant]

the closest I've seen down south is Northwest Arkansas around Ouachita (pronounced: wash i ta) National Forest.

Northwest Arkansas = Ozarks. Ouachita (which I've always heard "wach i ta") is in the southern part of the state. I'm from the Delta, so my fall "foliage" was always cotton fields.

[r2cagle]

You're right AdminA , though the part of Ouachita I visited was the far northwest side of the forest. I forget that it takes up a huge area. I get lost so easily

As for pronunciation -- I still get Nacogdoches (nack a doe shis) and Natchitoches (nack a dish) confused... I guess it's better not to quote me on Ouachita... but hey, I can spell it!

[telecom_goddess]

There is nowhere else in the States to get good cheese. Or dairy in general.

Oh but have you had Tillamook cheese? Right here in Oregon is one of the best dairies around in Tillamook by the coast. YUMMY.

But I have to admit that I love English cheese, especially cotswold...that stuff is ...as one person put it in another post about food, groin grabbingly good

[Becks]

While in NJ, I was less than impressed by cheeses from New York and Vermont.