It’s my six month anniversary of living in Fayetteville – how fast the time goes! I had wanted to do a post like this when we first arrived but the move in process was… rough. Not through anything specific to the location, just because of moving on only three weeks notice in the middle of a pandemic. It made finding a place to live and the settling in process a lot more difficult. I felt like it was a bit unfair to do first impressions at the start when we were so wrapped up in restrictions and dealing with organizing everything. The six month anniversary was a little more fair of a time frame to actually get some time to experience the new home. Here’s my take on what getting stationed at Fort Bragg has been like so far.
On Getting Stationed At Fort Bragg – First Impressions Of Fayetteville
Honorable mentions
- The base is the size of a small country. Holy moly, even the commissary needs its own zip code.
- Big truck culture is out of control. In a good way because big trucks are still the coolest thing not named Randy Savage. A bit annoying if you’re driving at night in a human size car though because their lights are at your eye level and blind you.
- People seem to drive like they have no idea where they’re going.
- The outdoors is super family friendly and parks are well maintained. It’s a great place for beginner adventurers and people with kiddos.
- American accents are just cool. They always will be.
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There’s a cool food truck culture
First up, food in general is AMAZING here.
One thing that was unexpected for me was the cool food truck culture. At first I started noticing a couple in parking lots on weekends and thought it was a one-off or something similar to the Bunnings sausage sizzle in Australia – where every weekend at Bunnings you can get a sausage sizzle. But then I noticed them more and more around town and on social media.
If you find one you really like, you can follow them on their Facebook page and they usually announce where they’ll be parked each day otherwise it’s easy to just see them around town if you want to try something new.
I love the variety it opens up because you get a lot more options than just the usual big chains. There seems to be food trucks for all sorts of different foods – from taco trucks, to BBQ, and burgers to name a few.
It’s also good to be able to support more local small businesses. I really appreciate the sense of pride in the creations – my favorite so far was one called Pinky Pig. The food was incredible but what I loved most was the connection of the person working telling me about the food and watching him beam with pride as he talked about it being homemade.
Turns out I don’t have a food truck pic, but this is from the state fair when I tried *infamous* deep fried Oreos.
There’s a lot to do
For everyone that messaged me when I first moved and told me how boring it is and how there is nothing to do here – what? Did you never look?
There’s a lot to do here in Fayetteville as well as the surrounding areas.
If you like the outdoors you are covered because there is a lot of outdoor adventures locally and within driving distance for day or weekend trips. I’ve already covered a few of the ones I’ve started with like Carvers Creek State Park and the nearby Weymouth Woods in Southern Pines.
If you aren’t outdoorsy you have the downtown area which is a charming place to hang out for a meal or some shopping, but also has a lot of classes run by businesses there so you won’t get bored.
To make the most of your time living here, check out my Ultimate Fort Bragg Bucket List. You won’t waste your weekends because it’s full of adventure ideas, long weekend destinations, and unique events you don’t want to miss.
Refreshing politeness and hospitality
I mentioned this in my YouTube video on first impressions of life in America, and I got a lot of messages that said people aren’t actually aren’t that nice.
So perhaps I need to clarify.
I didn’t mean people are nice in the sense that this is the perfect place where there are no rude people or people that hurt others.
When I said people seem nice and polite, it’s really just a surface level of noticing politeness in things like walking around town or customer service experiences. Most of my experiences have been positive and welcoming.
You have to also take into consideration I moved here from Italy where people were not nice and welcoming off the bat in most scenarios. Even in customer service situations there were times when the attendant would act like you’re burdening their entire day by them having to answer your question (aka doing their job) or other times when I’ve gone to check out and had the person roll their eyes at me. Now walking into a store and having someone greet you with a smile is a basic politeness that really stands out to me.
So perhaps me noticing the politeness here is just the harsh contrast to what I experienced the last four years? Who knows.
Does that mean there are no issues here – no, not at all. There’s definitely some sketchy areas, crime, and problems. There’s probably as many rude people as there are everywhere too. It was just a first impression, but I stand by that there’s a level of politeness here that I love and I’ve always felt welcome in different settings. I like seeing smiling faces and having people say hello.
The weather is bipolar
Oh em gee the weather. It’s so hard to figure out what’s going on with it.
I feel like the whole time I lived here it’s been a game of weather roulette. What’s it going to be today Fayetteville?
One day you’ll be rugged up and wearing a hoodie, then the next it’ll be humid and you’ll be in a t-shirt. And the rain. Does it ever stop raining?
One thing I’ve learned is that if you get a sunny day, get out and make the most of it. A week of rain might follow that brief sunshine.
I haven’t fully figured the weather norms out yet but it seems really up and down. It feels like you have to be ready for anything.
The thrift and antique shopping is on point
If you like thrift and/or antique shopping, then it’s a super cool place to be. You can find a lot of unique second hand stuff and it doesn’t all cost an arm and a leg.
My usual go-to places are The Pickin Coop and Leclairs General Store.
The Pickin Coop has a lot of unique antique finds, especially for bigger pieces of furniture, and just a lot of cool pieces in general.
Leclairs also has a coffee shop in it, so it’s a really cool place to get a cup of coffee and stroll the store for a mix of second hand and brand new goodies from local artists.
Leclairs General Store
Other posts you might enjoy
- How To Plan A Day Hiking At Raven Rock State Park, NC
- Where To Get The Best Apple Cider Donuts Near Fayetteville
Adventuring With Endometriosis – Because It Doesn’t Have To Stop You!
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