Southeastern North Carolina is home to my absolute core. From my hometown of Chadbourn—the historic Strawberry Capital of the World and home to the state's oldest agricultural festival—to taking dance there for 20 years, childhood days at Lake Waccamaw, attending school in Hallsboro and Whiteville, and living in Wilmington from 2009 until recently, my connection to this region runs deep. Now living back home in Whiteville with my 4-year-old son, ...