Living in the American south...

[ifreeman08]

Hi,

I have been offered the oppurtunity to live and work as an elementary school teacher in America for about three years. Most of the states available to work in are Georgia, North and South Carolina, Virginia...basically southern states.

I lived in Colorado for a year and dated a girl who had grown up in Georgia and didn't have the fondest of memories of the American south, which has slightly coloured my opinion, unfortunately.

I will be 24 at the time of moving, single, liberal and non-religious. I was hoping for some objective advice from people that have lived or are living in the south as to whether it will be a "smooth" transition.

Thank you!

[Bevdeforges]

Hi, and welcome to the forum.

First of all, where are you from? That could make a difference in how you'll react to the American South. Then again, liberal and non-religious can be a problem in small towns in lots of areas of the US, not just in the south, though it depends on how "assertive" you are in those areas.

The other factor to consider is urban vs. rural, especially when it comes to the schools. Atlanta, Georgia has really grown and developed in recent years, and I've heard it is quite a cosmopolitan city these days. Areas in North and South Carolina around the research triangle area or the big state universities there are model US suburbs. Then there are rural towns out in the middle of nowhere. For someone of your age and background, there wouldn't be much of interest for a social life. But you can find that in plenty of northern states, too.
Cheers,
Bev

[ifreeman08]

I am from Bristol, England. I am an open person, but I guess that being a student in America and being a teacher will require different attitudes. That said, I have been told that most of the areas are middle-class communities.

Knowing exactly where I will be placed will help I think, but do you have any experience of urban communities in the south and what they are like?

[synthia]

What Americans consider 'liberal' would be considered conservative in the UK. What we call conservative would be more like reactionary.

A friend of mine moved to a small city with a large university, and still found the conservative attitudes and religiosity a problem. If you are going to be bothered by people 'blessing' you all the time, comments to the effect that 'God was looking after you' in the most ordinary of encounters (like from the clerk at the grocery store), you reallly won't like it.

[Bevdeforges]

It might help if you have some specific questions. The South has a pretty dodgy reputation, but it's not universally rednecks in pickup trucks singing gospel songs at all hours of the day and night.

Add to that, there's a big difference between the Research Triangle area in the Carolinas, and the rural towns in deepest, darkest Alabama or Mississippi, where indoor plumbing may be a recent luxury.
Cheers,
Bev