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Do the local FReepers ever get together? I live a couple of hours to the east in Jacksonville, but I would jump at the chance to see some of you guys in person!

For LuLuLuLu, I have lived in NC all of my life and cannot imagine living anywhere else. NC has beautiful mountains, the rolling hills of the piedmont, and the Atlantic Ocean as well.

We are blessed to have four major military installations in our state. Jacksonville is home to Camp Lejeune MCB and the New River MC Air Station. Another MCAS is located nearby in Cherry Point, NC. Fayetteville is home to Fort Bragg and Pope AFB and Seymour Johnson AFB is located about an hour away from Jacksonville in Goldsboro. Instead of war protestors, our returning troops see American flags and yellow ribbons!

We have a nationally recognized system of community colleges (for which I have been privileged to work for the past 24 years) as well as many outstanding universities, such as Duke University, UNC-Chapel Hill, NC State University, Wake Forest, Davidson, etc.

The people are generally warm, friendly, God-fearing, and on the conservative side politically. (Exceptions to the latter have been mentioned elsewhere in this thread.) We tend to vote correctly in national elections, but can not seem to get the Democrats out of the State House and Senate. All things considered, I'm sure that you will love it here!

BTW, I am not crazy about any kind of BBQ, but I do enjoy an occasional BBQ sandwich on a bun (WITH slaw) from one of the Smithfield's Chicken & BBQ restaurants that can be found all throughout the eastern part of the state. I LOVE the hush puppies that are always included in the BBQ dinner. My favorite "native" food is the fried flounder and fried shrimp (with a side of fried okra and fried squash) that can be found at a wonderful little restaurant called "The Riverview" on the inter-coastal waterway in Snead's Ferry, NC.

I don’t like barbecue, either.

There’s been an annual FReep in Fayetteville for several years, although I haven’t been there lately. Some of the guys who live in the same area get together for dinner on occasion. Come hang out on the NC board, and maybe you’ll find someone who lives on your street - that happened to me in Oklahoma!