Living in Georgia
Georgia. The Peach State. Home to big traffic, Coca Cola, and the place where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. preached. American history abounds in Georgia. Sherman came through here during the Civil War, the Great Atlanta Fire of 1917 occurred here, and Martin Luther King Jr. was born here. In more recent history, the 1996 Olympics took place here, Jordan Spieth won the Masters at the age of 21 here, and the state has become synonymous with Hollywood blockbusters, particularly several of the Marvel movies.
That’s a lot for one state to offer, and it can be a little overwhelming for visitors and new residents.
Relocating to Georgia can mean experiencing major culture shock, especially if you’ve never had iced tea so sweet your teeth will ache. But they’ve got sports teams (the Falcons and the Braves), they’ve got wonderful food offerings (barbeque, peaches, and pecans), and they’ve got a rich history and culture unique to the region.
Working in Georgia
Airlines, universities, and healthcare providers make up the top employment agencies in Georgia, although supermarkets and hardware stores sneak in here and there on the list. In addition to the Coca-Cola Company and Turner, the state also serves as the home for the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, which also ranks in the top 20 of state employers.
This may also serve as further enticement to move to Georgia, particularly if one has any concerns about a zombie apocalypse.
Weather in Georgia
The climate of Georgia gets classified as humid subtropical, a polite way to indicate the winters tend to be short and the summers get really hot and go on forever. Georgia experiences the four seasons like this: spring counts as early summer, summer serves as high summer, fall acts as late summer, and winter only shows up for Christmas before the whole thing starts again.
If you’re relocating to Georgia from someplace that experiences true winter, some fun can be had at the expense of the locals whenever the temperature drops below 60 degrees; you’ll probably be comfortable in jeans and a sweater while everyone else throws on those big puffy jackets favored by Artic research teams and ski pants.
Actual snowfall might be even more amusing, assuming you’re not in a store when it happens. In terms of extreme weather, Georgia’s response to any announcement involving snowfall differs little from the rest of the country; panic, media hype, and a run on supply stores.
But you’ll want to lose the jeans and sweaters during the summer months, which tend to stretch from sometime in May to November. Some basic steps to beat the heat include comfortable clothes, sunscreen, lots of drinking water, and always being within walking distance of an air-conditioned building. Or a walk-in cooler. Those are fantastic. You go in to pick up a frosty beverage or grab a bag of ice, and you can easily get five minutes in one of those bad boys. Make the most of it.
Speaking of bad boys, you may have heard rumors about how evil the hot Georgia weather can be when combined with Georgia traffic. While it’s true traffic can be bad, particularly around Atlanta, take advantage of the Georgia Department of Transportation traffic website to make travel plans before heading out. Your family will thank you.
Things to do when you move to Georgia
Atlanta tends to hog the spotlight in terms of state offerings: the Coca Cola headquarters and World of Coca-Cola Museum, the site of Dragoncon, the Centennial Olympic Park from the 1996 Olympic games, Zoo Atlanta, the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, and so on.
But don’t let Atlanta’s swagger fool you into thinking the state doesn’t have anything else to offer. There’s also Savannah, one of the most beautiful (and haunting) places in the country that also hosts the one of the best St. Patrick’s Day celebrations and serves as the gateway to Tybee Island, one of the state’s best beach locations.
Moving and adapting to Georgia’s Culture
Culturally speaking, Georgia leads with its taste buds. The Peach State offers a variety of regional takes on favorite foods like fried chicken, sweet tea, peaches, blueberries, and pecans. Also, get used to hearing the term “y’all” instead of “you all.” This combination of words does not exist solely in Georgia, of course; the terms gets frequent use in just about any place south of the Mason-Dixon Line. But for some reason, Georgia seems to serve as the unofficial capital of “y’all-isms,” and it’s infectious. A Boston native could spend as little as one week in Georgia and they’d go back home and greet their friends by saying, “Hey, y’all are wicked awesome.”
Also, keep an eye on anyone that uses the phrase “bless your heart.” It sounds sweet and understanding, but the phrase can also be employed as a backhanded insult, something along the lines of “kiss my grits.” There is also, contrary to what you may have heard, no such thing as iced tea in Georgia. There is only sweet tea, and the sweetness content will be high enough to coat your teeth if you aren’t careful.
Coca Cola will be the preferred cola brand in the state, owing to the fact that Coke bases their headquarters in Atlanta (AGAIN with Atlanta, jeez). But don’t worry; Pepsi and other cola products will still be readily available, and odds will be good no one will give you grief upon requesting a non-Coke cola unless you’re making the request while standing in front of a banner reading “We proudly serve Coke products!”
READY TO GO? LET US KNOW!
Sold on the idea of moving to Georgia? Or does the idea of trying to get yourself, your family, and all your stuff to a state filled with pecans and peaches sound like too much hassle? Plus, there’s that whole “what about the zombie apocalypse?” thing, too. Don’t stress. If you need help, Colonial Van Lines has you covered. We’ve got the experience and the expertise to make sure your moving experience will be solid, straight forward, and above all, stress free. Call a Colonial Van Lines professional and find out how easy a move to Georgia can be.
And zombies aren’t really a thing.
Long Distance Moving to Georgia
June 13, 2019