[IROC]

I grew up in East Tennessee (Kingsport) and have been to Blacksburg on a few occasions and basically all over the SW Virginia area. FWIW, I have also spent a decent amount of time in LA on business.

Even by southern standards, SW Virginia is pretty rural. To me, the *biggest* difference you're going to find is in LA, everything you could ever want (restaurants, shopping, entertainment) is at your fingertips. In SW Virginia, you're going to have to work a little harder to find things to do, places to eat, etc.

I, personally, really like the charm and slower pace of the Southeastern part of the US. The people are extremely friendly and it's really just a nice place to live. There are some adjustments to be made, though...

Mike