My Idea of Southern Hospitality

When I think of southern hospitality I think of my life in Israel. I lived in Israel up until fourth grade and then I moved to Massachusetts. We were friends with all of our neighbors and when a new neighbor moved in we always made baked goods and gave them a housewarming gift. If anyone ever needed a place to stay the doors were always open and there were always people willing to help. Furthermore, before moving to America I did not know that TV dinners existed. There was always a home cooked meal where ever I went. When I moved to Massachusetts, no one came to welcome us, and till this day I do not know most of my neighbors. When I go over my friend’s houses their parents order takeout and are much more distant. Their doors are not always open, and it is a lot more difficult to ask for a favor. People are always in a hurry and don’t have time for anything. When my mom and I first came to visit Georgia Tech, we were amazed by how nice people were. When we went into a store people asked us how our day was going and if we asked someone for directions, several people stopped to help. When I think of southern hospitality I think of big dinners, neighbors helping each other, and people welcoming their friends and treating them as family. A few years ago, I went on a trip to several states in the south and we stayed with host families. When we were at their house we became part of the family and the community. If anything was wrong they were there to help, and they cleared up their schedule to spend time with us. I have not experiences hospitality like this since I moved to Massachusetts. I still keep in touch with the families. I think that southern hospitality still exists and people who practice this meet people who they would not have met otherwise, and form long lasting connections.