New England or Mississippi: My Summer Identity Crisis

Y’all, I swear I woke up Sunday morning convinced I'd been transported back to Mississippi in my sleep. The humidity was so thick and sticky, I half-expected to hear cicadas buzzing. This past week has been a scorcher, with my car thermometer hitting a whopping 104 yesterday (though the weather apps claimed a slightly more forgiving 99). It truly felt like a blast from the Deep South past!

Thankfully, tomorrow we're supposed to return to proper New England summer temps with a high of 74. I can practically taste that cool, crisp air – perfect for another outdoor festival this weekend!

Speaking of festivals, I had a booth at a Children’s Festival this past weekend and had quite the amusing conversation. When I asked another vendor about July and August craft fairs, she said, "Yea, there aren’t many fairs in the summer because it’s so hot, but they will pick back up in September." Here I am, thinking summer has been in full swing since early June, and it turns out it’s still practically spring in New England! Even a radio ad commented that summer was "just kicking off." I guess when you’re still getting snow in April, it's not surprising that spring takes its sweet time to arrive. So many things to learn!

"Going to Camp" Ain't What It Used to Be

Down South, when we go on vacation, it's usually to the beach or the mountains. Up here, from Memorial Day until Labor Day, folks "go to camp." Now, when you say "I'm going to camp" in Mississippi, it generally means the hunting camp. It took me a hot minute last summer to realize these New Englanders weren't headed to their deer camps every weekend! Turns out, "camp" up here means a lake house, a camper, or a cabin somewhere within a hundred miles or less. It's like a weekly mini-vacation instead of one big, long one. And then there's family camp – that's when the whole family descends on the same spot, generally the same week every year.

And if you’re thinking about being spontaneous and booking a week or weekend of camping in New England, think again! You pretty much have to book in January because these folks are serious about their camps and will book the WHOLE season for their campers. There's no such thing as a last-minute cabin rental at Jellystone – chances are, they're fully booked!

Community Spirit (and Free Pools!)

Despite the booking madness, there is so much to do up here! It feels like everything is an hour's drive, even if it's only 20 miles. But within 50 miles, there are like four amusement parks, countless museums, pick-your-own fruit and veggie farms, and truly wonderful community parks. We took Paul to pick strawberries the other day, and what a hoot that was! He had a grand time and is already begging to go back.

The town we live in has three public pools, completely FREE to use! The only requirement is that you're a resident and can show proof. The facilities are so nice and clean. It really feels like community governments here are much more focused on the quality of life and reinvesting into the communities as a whole. I still haven't fully grasped how they get their money since there's no sales tax or income tax (yes, property taxes are pretty high), but I’m slowly getting my toes in the Kool-Aid so I can be more involved.

It's really weird going from being SO involved and knowing everything that was going on back home, to not. When we first moved, I was swamped with getting the casino opened, so I just didn’t have the bandwidth to add community involvement. Now that I’m working from home building our business, I can see the light and where I want to get involved.

The recreation department, in addition to the pools, has a hockey arena, a gymnasium, ball fields, toddler programming, and a super busy 50+ calendar with field trips, craft, and exercise classes. They also have great teen trips throughout the summer. Emily is even a CIT for their summer childcare program. It's $800 for the ENTIRE summer (June-August) to send kids from first grade to age 12! They have structured activities including the pool and lots of field trips to museums and shows.

I miss my Vicksburg home, but man, the things here for kids and families beat the 'Burg hands down. And I used to be a big cheerleader for all that was offered back home, but so much of it was from organizations like Southern Culture and the Y. All of the programming I’ve been mentioning here is part of the City Rec department. Don't get me wrong- I miss y'all terribly- but I am here to embrace all New England is offering this Southern Belle- especially the cooler temperatures.