Confused when people refer to “The North”
 

So, I’m brand new to Florida, coming from Colorado. I hear lots of people in TV refer to “The North”, or going back home to “The North”. I usually find out they are referring to the mid-Atlantic, New England or the Mid West. Technically, Colorado is north of Florida, but it is way more west than it is north. It seems weird to me to refer to Colorado as “North”. In conversations with people, they seem to refer to any state other than Florida as “North”. Do those of you from Pacific and Rocky Mt states say you are going north, or going west when going back home?

I usually just say "I am going back to New Mexico." (where I was raised). Sometimes they look at me kind of funny and tell me my English is quite good for a foreigner. lol. New Mexico is "the forgotten state". When I lived in the mid-Atlantic area people I knew well would ask me what it was like living in Arizona even though I had told them I was from New Mexico.

I say "West" if going back to Wyoming. Then people say, "Oh, I've never met anyone from there." But I left there as a young adult because I couldn't tolerate the winter weather.

I would guess up north is referring to northern states.

What still throws me is many folks in Florida referring to the West Coast mean the West Coast of Florida on the Gulf of Mexico, not the the states such as California bordering the Pacific Ocean.

North is anywhere north of FL east of the Mississippi. West is anywhere west of the Mississippi.

very clearly stated, but all very relative interpretation, and an absolute interpretation will be confusing.

That throws me too, something I will have to get used, as being born, raised, and spending my early adult years in California, the West Coast always referred to the Pacific states. The Villages is definitely East-coast centric. When I say I am from the West, people seemed surprised.

You'll probably receive a variety of answers but seems pretty standard that Floridians (for the most part....LOL !) go NORTH before they go East or West.... it might just be as simple as a colloquial thing to say "north". Come to think of it, last time we went to NOLA I'm sure I said we were "heading north" for a week, when in reality we were driving north and THEN heading WEST... LOL ! Local habit more than precise accuracy probably !

Yep

Often around TV it refers to anyplace north of 466A.

When people complain a lot many just figure they are from New York thus the go back north term developed.

I would think that "up North" refers to anywhere where it gets snow and cold temps. Physically, your state and others west of the Mississippi is really west. But, clumped together all states are north of Florida.

It could also be north or SR44? Maybe.

It’s definitely weird and definitely a real thing. I was born and raised here and until I moved to the actual west coast, it seemed normal to say. :a20: Now, I say the west coast of Florida. Or the Gulf coast.

Anything South of Game of Throne's Ice Wall is "South." I think it's appropriate!