We received an overwhelming response to the open-ended statement, "The best thing about the South is..." posed online on our Readers' Choice Awards ballot Here are a few of your responses. Click here to check out the 2007 Readers Choice Awards.

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"Actually seeing the sun every day."
Tara Thomas
Raleigh, North Carolina

"Cajun food as hot as the weather."
Joy Fields
Kingwood, Texas

"Knowing who your great-great-great-grandparents were on both sides."
Carolyn Miller
Canton, North Carolina

"Our tea is sweet and is better in a mason jar."
Katie Hutto
Batesburg, South Carolina

"Summer nights on the patio watching lightning bugs with the white glow of gardenias and magnolia blossoms in the background, the smell of just-mowed lawns and outdoor grilling."
Diane Cunningham
Atlanta, Georgia

"Traveling around the country and going home to realize the best is in your backyard."
Greg Powers
Aiken, South Carolina

"Waking up every morning to the sound of a Southern accent and ending a good day by sitting on my back porch with a cold margarita, enveloped by the aroma of honeysuckle and the sound of frogs, crickets, and whip-poor-wills."
Teresa Best
Bono, Arkansas

"We dont need snow shovels, parkas, snowshoes or sand in the trunk of the car."
George O'Reilly
Port Charlotte, Florida

"You can stop and smell the roses without getting run over!"
Chris Villines
White House, Tennessee

"Being called 'honey' by older women you've never met before."
Amy Voloshko
Charlotte, North Carolina

"Azaleas, magnolias, and dogwoods in the spring; church picnics, concerts in the park, and tubing on the river in the summer; tailgate parties, football games, and hayrides in the fall; live nativities, 80-degree weather, and holiday crafts shows in the winter; nice manners and over-the-top hospitality any time of year."
Heather Wainwright
Fort Hood, Texas

"Down-home authenticity. Love us or hate us, we are the real thing."
Lucy Merrill
Birmingham, Alabama

"Get down here as quick as you can, and you'll find out!"
Elizabeth Besenbach
Simpsonville, South Carolina

" 'Hey' is an acceptable greeting. College football reigns. Barbecue is the best fund-raiser. Mosquitoes keep most people out of the best spots."
Evelyn DiVenere
Pawleys Island, South Carolina

"Everything. There are not enough words to describe the abundance of enjoyment and peace in the South. From the beach to the mountains to the hills of Kentucky; from home-style fried chicken to Cajun boiled shrimp; from family to friends, life in the South is a gift from God."
Amanda Wade
Bowling Green, Kentucky

"It's a place, not a direction."
Debbie Patterson
McCalla, Alabama

"Hospitality! From church potlucks with casserole recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation to sharing fresh fruits and vegetables, Southerners love to come together over food. And nothing is better than feeding the body with good food and the soul with good company!"
Karen Hornfeck
Greensboro, North Carolina

"There is always some place to discover, something to do, and someone hospitable to meet."
Rebecca Rhodes
Atlanta, Georgia

"Being home again. As a wife of a now retired (yeah, right) military officer, I've had the opportunity to travel to tons of places. There is really no place like home, the South. The people here are nicer and have better smiles. The gardens are established and the owners take pride in them. Southerners also take pride in sharing, whether it's a family recipe, a cutting from a favorite plant, or just a hug."
Cynthia Fry
Herndon, Virginia

"Three words--food, food, food."
DeEllen Wood
Roberta, Georgia

"Southern Journal" is from the January 2008 issue of Southern Living.