I live in Alabama and it's a beautiful state. You are always within 6-8 hours of driving from a beach or mountains. The state undergoes three major geological changes as you go from North to South, leaving some really nice, natural scenery as a result. I'm originally from Huntsville, where the majority of rocket science was fostered and learned in America. I believe that there is an area in this region that holds the highest number of PhDs in the country. Huntsville is chock full of engineers and thus schooling tends to pride itself on its math and science curriculum - offering more opportunities because of sponsorships from local engineering firms like Boeing, NASA, Lockheed Martin, Adtran, and many more.
There's this trope that Alabama (and most of the South) is a fucked up, backwards, redneck, inbred place afraid of all things change, and that just isn't true. There are episodes of each of those things - just like in California or New York. It's nice getting off of work and playing basketball out in your driveway, then enjoying a beer with all of your neighbors outside as it turns from dusk to dark. Generally people are nicer here and I try my best to be as well.
I think Alabama's a great state to live in. I also think people give in to regional stereotypes way more than they should.
There's this trope that Alabama (and most of the South) is a fucked up, backwards, redneck, inbred place afraid of all things change, and that just isn't true. There are episodes of each of those things - just like in California or New York. It's nice getting off of work and playing basketball out in your driveway, then enjoying a beer with all of your neighbors outside as it turns from dusk to dark. Generally people are nicer here and I try my best to be as well.
I think Alabama's a great state to live in. I also think people give in to regional stereotypes way more than they should.