Good morning Voltville! Sort of getting back to a "normal" schedule again. Coffee is hot and fresh and I can rustle up a little toast, bagel, oatmeal, dry cereal, or eggs. It's supposed to be sunny and nice today so I'll be outside moving the balance of the big logs and cleaning up the little branches from the big tree, then climb the smaller one and set a guy rope so I can take that one down either this evening or tomorrow evening when Mrs. Awsum gets home.
I worked in northern New Jersey for years and lived a little north of here near the shore for most of my life. To me the attitude was very "cosmopolitan", every ethnicity, race or religion was more or less common place and accepted or at least "tolerated" and, like others have said, the speed of life was very fast. Now, living in southern New Jersey, life is a bit slower, still hectic compared to other parts of the US, but it doesn't "feel" quite as cosmopolitan. My wife is Chinese/American and we get looks, sometimes, which surprises the heck out of me. In some ways folks seem kind of xenophobic at times.
I used to travel extensively for work all over the US and the US possessions. Generally, the Northeast does run at the fastest speed, life and speech, while the Mid West and South seem to run a little slower. Humor seems pretty constant everywhere and, like Konstantine said, people seemed friendly and open wherever I went, even Guam and Puerto Rico. I do miss the travel, but sure don't miss eating restaurant food all day every day! If I could live anywhere, I'd pick the southwest, loved Albuquerque, but I would want to move the doctors and hospitals there from the northeast at my age!