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I have a yearning to buy a home in the Appalachian Mountains There is something about the place that seems mystical and magical
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Do it, no balls.
He no ballsed you, bro 😬
No they HAVE to do it.
Agreed.
Run away at the first sighting of a wild Methican.
Today I learned the word "methican."
All of the meth heads in my town are white. To be fair, pretty much everyone in my town is white. But the addicts are overwhelmingly white people.
All of mine are white too, but calling them crackheads is so played out. Methicans is what they are now.
I've been going with 'members of 1st undone Methodist, but methicans is much simpler.
It’s meth and American. So meth replaces the “amer” part.
Can testify, they are whiter
No buts about it
That’s really funny
Then come here. Drive around. Find a small town you like. Buy a normal house.
Don’t sell your house in Sydney or wherever and then buy a mountaintop McMansion, and three other houses to rent out. That’s how you get resented by everyone around you.
It’s a wonderful place in a way.
I want to visit. I would buy a normal house. How is safety there?
Pretty sure we have smaller spiders...so that's cool.
Lol good to hear 😅
Oh and we even have a marsupial so you'll feel right at home!
Nothing in Appalachia will try to kill you...except yourself.
That is dark and hilarious to me 😂
It's true. Substance abuse and general despair are far more lethal to Appalachians today than anything in the environment.
You have more to fear from your own kin than most animals. However, nothing like the thrill of finding a big timber rattler in your backyard to make you question that.
This is true...but coming from Australia, a timber rattler is small shakes compared to them having 6 of the top 10 deadliest snakes on earth!
Safety from what?
It’s fine. First, you need to realize that “Appalachia” is a huge place. As an Australian I’m sure you get it, but just for the uninitiated: Appalachia stretches from the Southern United States - deep red, rural states - to northern blue states. It has towns, midsized cities, and everything in between. So the answer can vary.
I’m in East Tennessee. Bristol area. NASCAR track. Birthplace of country music.
Generally speaking, it’s fine. There is growing property crime, as we’re one of the fastest growing areas of the nation in terms of housing. There’s an epic housing crunch underway to the point that young people making formerly middle class incomes are homeless or near homeless.
The opioid epidemic is real. We’ve lost a generation of young people to it. But I don’t know if it’s as bad as big cities. But that does lead to some crime by itself.
You’ve got to realize… Appalachia is or was America’s internal colony. All of the forces that are making it hard on everyone else, inflation etc., those are here as well. And we have way less wiggle room. So there’s an undercurrent of discontent. You can feel it.
If you’re watching TikTok’s about “if you’re in the woods and hear something no you didn’t,” it’s all BS from people who have likely never been here and don’t know anything.
I meant safety from dangerous/chaotic people lol. I am an introvert. My best friends are books.
That is certainly a large state. Australia is large but mostly... empty. From my view, America is large and has so many varying towns and cities.
Damn. The same problems there are also here in Australia...
I don't know what your last paragraph means but you definitely made me curious.
No problem!
Re: last paragraph. People make these weird TikTok’s about Appalachia and it being haunted, talking about it like it’s some magical place. It isn’t lol.
You can 100% have a nice life in Appalachia as an introvert. If anything, it helps you here. You could move out somewhere that you’re an hour from the nearest paved road.
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"One of the smallest populated counties in the country", we may be neighbors if the pop numbers are still accurate, King of Bluegrass and Melungeons
Thank you!
I was researching appalachian stuff the other day and i love that you have these things called hollers
And another aplalachian girl was talking about visiting her own little ancient family cemetary
That is wild!
I can tell you you're full of shit. All those "haints" don't exist.
Definitely safer wildlife. Copperheads and hornets are about the worst.
Thirty years in NW NC...I've been a victim of petty theft twice. My county rarely has more than a couple of murders a year, mostly family stuff.
I have no idea how culturally prepared you are for the US mountain south but I think it's the best place on earth.
But also, it's just the south, and it's also just the US. People here are from all over. The live & let live also is strong.
Thanks, it does sound good to me
lol 2 venomous spiders, ~4 venomous snakes. Stay away from drugs.
I’m from Appalachia and have some family around Brisbane (missionaries who set up roots) stayed on the east coast with them a few months about 15 years back.
Day 1 the cousins said “the dog bites. It killed a 5 ft brown snake a few days ago”. And also “don’t kill that giant spider on the ceiling it eats other spiders and isn’t that venomous.”
“Here’s your room we couldn’t find those geckos you hear chirping AS LOUDLY AS POSSIBLE right now.”
I still really enjoyed the stay. Sydney was beautiful. Mackenzie Island. Went to Newcastle because Silverchair, not a lot going on though.
I think rural aussies have a decent amount in common with normal folks in Appalachia. There’s a connection with the outside. Resourcefulness. Almost a fatalism of “well I’ll die one day anyway, let me do x thing that seems crazy” for some people, not all.
Lolllll all those things are so familiar to me. We have some dogs in Australia that have generations of farm experience and they are amazing how they can protect us from snakes and such. I also would have said the same about the huntsman spider lol, they are huge but also helpful 😅 the geckos are a nuisance, no doubt!
In the southern Appalachians, a lot of people move down here from cities up north to retire, if that tells anything. In the 90s, Maryville, Tenn was rated one of the top 20 cities in the US to live in, based on crime rates, cost of living and availability of culture (access to musical performances and plays, colleges).
Edited
Thank you!
Just to expand on what the commenter above said, the north/south divide very much still exists. I’m from Pennsylvania and the culture is much different up here but there’s also plenty of similarities of course. My accent is much different than the folks from in the south being one big difference I’ve noticed. Like a lot of the foods and stuff are different. There’s regions and subregions. America is such a diverse place especially in the older areas east of the Mississippi.
The bears are big.
Just remember dont go into them woods at night
This is the best direction
You are referring to a chain of mountains from north Georgia to Maine, lots of variety. Pick your place, culture various wildly, that would include Pittsburgh PA, go Steelers
Appalachia and the Appalachian Mountains aren't the same thing.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appalachia
The mountains themselves go all the way into Canada. It's the trail that stops in Maine.
The mountains continue in Scotland cause they were there before the 2 continents broke apart
The orogeny continues in Scotland ;)
Aye somebody knows the terminology
Yup. I live near the southern terminus of the Appalachian trail, in North GA. It goes over 2000 miles north. We have a very different culture from our friends holding down the northern end up in Maine.
Australians could understand the scale though. Big damn island. Lots of scary wildlife. And sometimes scary people in the rural parts. Not entirely unlike the rural Appalachian range, when you think about it.
I mean yes, but also no. There's a lot of overlap
Y'all wild acting like anything past West Virginia actually counts...
Wow all the way to Maine! Go steelers haha!
North Carolina is full
It’s actually not, OP. This guy is just salty. But be warned if you choose NC you will put up with a decent amount of this kind of unfriendliness
It's around the 9th most populous state. It actually is pretty full.
Exactly
I know right. I’m in PA and we could use some fresh blood around here.
Full of hippies who share your unAppalachian attitude
You’ve only seen photos of what I promise, you cannot even begin to fathom.
It is magical. Magical beyond thousands of years of legends, history, cultures, and tales. I believe visiting here once can change you. Living here, changes you and your entire life and outlook in a transformative way. Seriously just go take a look at the r/AppalachianTrail sub on any given day. Simply hiking this is people’s entire livelihoods.
Buy some land, no balls.
Wow! Those images really speak to me. And your words are powerful too. Thanks for sharing those images with me
You’re welcome. Simply driving 30 minutes from where I live and seeing these mountains, could literally make me cry everyday. AT hikers are arguably some of the happiest people in the world.
That is so awesome 😄 i would definitely be happy to see such amazing mountains and breath in the crisp mountain air too!
I’m glad to share. We experience very real problems here, and over/unsustainable tourism is one of them. However I believe everyone should get to truly experience the “real Appalachia” whatever that really looks like, at least once. Our history especially is ancient, overlooked, and often forgotten, stereotyped, and misunderstood. Sharing is the way forth, and while often stereotyped as defensive towards outsiders, Appalachians are mostly kind, sharing, and caring. Did you know that Appalachia is the Salamander Capital of the World? It has more amphibian diversity than arguably anywhere on the planet, particularly outside of the Amazon and tropical Asia. Or that the mountains are estimated to be over a billion years old? Or that high elevation spruce fir forests are one of the rarest habitats in the world? I could go on. Sorry, I’m a biologist/naturalist.
Those are beautiful. Is one or more of those Mt. Mitchell, or somewhere near?
Grandfather Mtn, so near. Also worth a trip there lol
Mt Mitchell are the last few, yeah.
Southern Appalachia is one of the most biodiverse places in the country. We have tons of freshwater fish, mollusks, and crustaceans; we have more species of turtles and salamanders than anywhere else on earth; we have cave ecosystems that have wildlife unique to that specific cave that can't be found anywhere else on earth; and most of our snakes are either harmless or extremely reluctant to bite. There's more here than just nature, but that's what makes me love this place so much. In rural areas life moves very slowly and without much excitement from the outside world. We'd love to have you visit our part of the country, and if you're the sort of person who enjoys a quiet and modest life you might want to stay!
That sounds fantastic. I am definitely keen to visit.
It has some of the best trails for hiking.
I love crisp mountain air
Follow your dream. Even if it turns out to be an epic disaster, you can at least say you tried. I wish you the best.
Those are great words, thank you very much! Sending you blessings.
There is a myth that America has no food culture. We have awesome food culture. You just have to go looking. Every state thinks we have the best BBQ. I am in Kansas City. WE have the best BBQ. This is how you start an argument on Reddit with Americans.
Kansas City Joe's is good. The rest of that stuff isn't fit for human consumption. You need to come on over to Tennessee where people know how to smoke a hog.
There are places we go that tourists don't know about. But I am certainly open to trying all BBQ.
I'm just goofing but I always give Missouri crap because my first BBQ experience there was horrible. I was driving through St. Louis and decided to get ribs because I'd always heard about St. Louis ribs. What they served me was a sin. It tasted like it had been under a warmer for a day then slathered in store bought sauce. Ribs aren't cheap either so I was offended.
Never order ribs west of the Mississippi River. Never order brisket east of the Mississippi River. Never order pulled or chopped pork outside of Appalachia. There will always be exceptions, but these general rules should keep you safe from bbq atrocities.
St Louis ain't got BBQ game. Here the tourists go to Gates but the rest of us have our favorite hole in the wall with the best burnt ends. Go to the Kansas City threads and you will see regular debates about BBQ on them. It is hilarious how we all squabble!
I would love to visit Kansas City and have a big bbq. I also have a desire to go to Louisiana and try out their gator and crayfish/shrimp. There is something special to me about the magic of Appalachia and Louisiana respectively and respectfully
We actually all have great BBQ restaurants all over this country but we like to argue who has the best and there are specific styles so you get regional flavors. I want to go on a road trip and just try them all! And I want to go to Australia and see the amazing animals you have there. We both have really amazing countries!
That is true 😃
I tried to resist your inflammatory statements and scroll on, but I must prove your point by declaring that North Carolina has the best pulled pork BBQ. Whether you prefer Lexington or Eastern style BBQ, NC has got you covered.
OP is correct. Americans argue passionately about barbecue.
I am hoping to come try your BBQ, you heathen😄
We take BBQ seriously here, lol. Be sure to try both styles. They’re pretty different from KC style - there’s no tomato based sauce here.
Georgia Appalachian here. He is wrong, lol
I'd test it out before you buy. Australia and Appalachia are very, very different places. (Although I did find there was something in the Aussie general attitude that reminded me a lot of folks back home in ways...)
I grew up in a small coal mining town in rural central QLD and I’ve actually been quite surprised by the similarities with the people and culture from the eastern KY and WV mining towns.
Good idea. Where did you visit when you were in Aus?
Sydney and Melbourne. I know, very typical. But there's an element of fatalistic, "fuck it", no fear there that reminded me a lot of home. Also the Sydney zoo and aquarium are still the most amazing collection of animals I have ever seen.
You have probably spent more time in Melbourne than me lol. I have only been there a week. Are you up in the mountains in Appalachia or in a town/city? As strange as it sounds I find it really difficult to imagine what life is like in America and it bothers me I can't picture it lol.
I'm currently in Louisville, Kentucky, which is a decent sized city somewhere between our Midwest and South (depending on who you ask or believe). I was born and raised until age 18 in a small town in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky, and my parents are still there (it's about a three hour drive, which I find to be a perfect distance for being close enough but not too close). My hometown was about 4000 people, and it was the biggest city around for 30-40 minutes driving in any direction. Most of what you need for a decent existence is there (grocery stores, fast food, Walmart, hardware store, things like that). Lots of easily accessible natural beauty very close. Drive 10 minutes in about any direction and it's quite rural from there. That's the thing about America. You can find anything here from NYC to things not much different from your outback. Huge and diverse country. Home wasn't for me necessarily because I discovered when I went to university I like good restaurants and access to sporting events and entertainment options, but many people I grew up with remain back home and have made quite happy lives. (Many others stayed there and ended up on drugs, in jail, or dead, so your mileage can vary, obviously.) America is a big choose your own adventure, more or less.
C'mon over. Hell I'll even do an exchange program with you if you have a house down there.
Don't let some of these people get to you. You spend too much time in the holler alone and you can turn into a curmudgeon. You see a lot of extremes out here some people are so nice and others don't want anything to do with you.
I'll tell you what I know.
North Georgia is beautiful but it rarely snows there and you get a bit more Deep South culture mixed in the further down you get.
East Tennessee and Western North Carolina to me seem to be the busiest part of Appalachia. We get the most tourists of the region. Both are full of little tourist towns and some bigger ones too. WNC feels more high end or artsy depending. East TN is a bit more developed. You have Knoxville and Chattanooga on the edge of Appalachia. Asheville over in WNC is probably cooler than either of those two but housing is a big issue and it's a smaller city.
West Virginia is the true blue Appalachia. It hasn't been developed like other regions. You won't have access to the resources you have in other places but my friend it is beautiful. Not to mention cheap. If I wanted to buy a 100 acres to live in the mountains, I'd be looking in West Virginia. The best ski resorts in the South are in WV too.
Virginia lost a lot of the best parts of Appalachia when WV separated from them but they got Roanoke. They also share the Blue Ridge Parkway with North Carolina.
Pennsylvania is the last state I traditionally include in Appalachia. It feels like a transitional state. Like I feel at home when I'm up there but then it also feels a bit different. Pittsburgh definitely adds a bit of northern manufacturing town vibe to it.
I don't include anything north of PA. I do however want to check out Ithaca, NY, Vermont, and Maine at some point.
Eastern Ky is a mix of Tn and WV we arent as developed but have some bug tourist spots like the Red and Cumberland and Cave Run lakes.
See now you made me feel bad for forgetting about EKY.