I spent last summer interning with a newspaper in Greensboro, N.C., so MSU's first-round NCAA Tournament game in Winston-Salem, N.C., is a homecoming of sorts for me. Carolina is a beautiful and historic place, and I'm excited to see it and soak in a little 80-degree weather again (my exotic spring break destination was Chicago for the Big Ten Tournament).

If you're planning on making the 11-hour voyage down there (a beautiful but grueling drive), here are some things about the culture I gleaned as an outsider:

Be careful when ordering barbecue. Instead of the tomato-based sauce we're used to, Carolinians coat their meat in vinegar. Probably the worst culinary decision since Hot Pockets.

Even if you don't like NASCAR, just pretend you do. Trust me, it's easier all the way around.

Tom Izzo is surprisingly popular in ACC country. This is amazing since true Southerners consider most Midwestern things blasphemous.

Even if it's 100 degrees outside, bring an umbrella. I once saw it go from torrid heat to sideways rain back to torrid heat in a matter of 30 minutes, without a single local batting an eyelash. And I thought Michigan weather was bipolar.

Violation of any of the above suggestions is grounds to be called a Yankee. (This is a derogatory term used for someone who doesn't fit well with Southern culture. I was called it roughly 42,000 times in three months.)

Above all, enjoy the atmosphere, savor the basketball action and, yes, embrace the culture. Deep down, most Carolinians are just like us — they hate Duke, too.

Tom Keller can be reached at kellert1@msu.edu.