I am a transplanted Yankee, having spent 11 years in SC, and almost 24 here in eastern NC. I've got my roots down deep in the South!I agree! I have a very good friend from SC & I absolutely love to hear her speak. Her accent sounds beautiful to me - though it annoys her that I say she has an accent.& the differences in words in our own county are fascinating to me. Like we have grinders here (subs, hoagies) & we call liquor stores 'the packy' or package stores. I love that stuff! I remember trying to order a Boston Creme donut in CA, lol. Nope, no such thing. LOL
My first job after moving to SC from Connecticut was at a McDonald's. I had to decipher what the natives were saying. An order of fries was a "frih" and a "tih" was a tea, but not a cup of tea, but a large cup of sweet iced tea.
Southern Hospitality is a real thing, and most friendliness is not feigned. You won't find it as much in the urban areas which have a lot of transplants, but when you're in the rural areas you'll see it a lot.