Mississippi Expat: Natalie Ford
"You can take the girl out of the South, but not the South out of the girl. I am letting it be more present in my identity now."
What does it mean to call Mississippi home? Why do people choose to leave or live in this weird, wonderful, and sometimes infuriating place? Natalie Ford doesn’t plan on returning to live in Mississippi, but her home state has deeply influenced how she understands herself and her place in the world. Now based in Jersey City with a professional life in New York City, Natalie calls herself a “citybelle.” “It’s my own term for identifying myself. It acknowledges my Southern past and my future in the greatest city in the world.” Today Natalie shares what she misses about the South, and how she’s formed a community in NYC.
Where are you from?
Brandon, Mississippi
When did you move to Jersey City and why did you move there?
I’ve been in and out of Mississippi since August 2017 because I went to college at Marist University in Poughkeepsie, New York. However, all my summers and holidays were spent at home in Mississippi, and so was the majority of 2021 because of the pandemic. I moved to Jersey City, New Jersey, on January 7, 2022 for work. I really wanted to live in Manhattan, but it was too expensive. The commute from Jersey City to work was also better than moving to Brooklyn or Long Island City. I love my apartment so much. I have a great view of Jersey City and I can see NYC too.
Home is where the heart is and where the GPS is off.
What does “home” mean to you? How does Mississippi fit into that definition?
Home is where the heart is and where the GPS is off. You don’t need a GPS when you’re home, because you know your way around. Mississippi is somewhere I will always feel safe and comfortable. Even though it is evolving, I can always find my way around. I love SO MANY things from Mississippi. The largest piece of my heart is there.
What do you miss most about Mississippi?
I really miss my family, friends, the general quiet, grass, free parking wherever you drive, and good sweet tea.
Y’all may not understand what a privilege free and guaranteed parking is. It is such a source of anxiety for me here. So many places that aren’t easily accessible by public transit don’t have a place to park or if there is one it costs so much money. I can’t even park at my apartment for free. And street parking is scary because the parking police will ticket you before you can blink!
I really miss my family, friends, the general quiet, grass, free parking wherever you drive, and good sweet tea.
How have you cultivated community in Jersey City and NYC? Do you still feel rooted to Mississippi?
I have cultivated community by joining all types of activities and going out to explore my city!
K-pop is a really large part of my life, and the community surrounding it is generally wonderful, and the friends I have from it are some amazing people. The dance and skating communities are also so important to me and are helping me grow in self confidence and physical skills. I do still feel rooted in Mississippi. I am also just a curious and adventurous soul, so I have made friends by striking up conversations in Trader Joe’s and on trains. I still have a small community in NYC from my days at Marist. I take my Mississippi energy to every group I’m a part of.
What’s the weirdest question or assumption you’ve encountered about Mississippi (or about you as a Mississippian) by someone who’s never been there?
People don’t know where Mississippi actually is?! Quite a few kids from college thought we were in the Midwest near Iowa or Idaho.
How has being from Mississippi affected your identity and your life’s path?
You can take the girl out of the South, but not the South out of the girl. I am letting it be more present in my identity now. I learned a lot about myself and the world from Mississippi. I am a Citybelle. It’s my own term for identifying myself. It acknowledges my Southern past and my future in the greatest city in the world.
What is something that you’ve come to understand about Mississippi by living elsewhere?
How wonderful it is. Mississippi is slow-paced, and that’s ok. It’s nice to drive everywhere sometimes. I understand the true strength of a steel magnolia. Although the rebellious nature of Mississippi is not rooted in something positive, it informs my desire to pursue justice and equity for everyone. Mississippians are fighters. Mississippians are creative. Mississippians know how to make it work and get things done.
You can take the girl out of the South, but not the South out of the girl. I am letting it be more present in my identity now.
Have you ever thought about moving back? What would need to happen in order for you to move back to Mississippi?
No. I am not moving back, but I will be a frequent visitor. In order for me to move back, I would need something serious (bad) to happen.
What do you wish the rest of the country understood about Mississippi?
How great and important we are to the story of America. So many important things and people came from our state一you wouldn’t have Oprah, Morgan Freeman, blues and rock n’ roll without us! There is more to us than just our history of racism and conservative values. It’s a wonderful place once you get to know it.
Do you have a favorite Mississippi writer, artist, or musician who you think everyone needs to know about?
This is SO CHEESY, but my best friend Liza Ambriz is an incredible artist and Mississippian! She’s so talented, creative, and kind. Liza’s ceramic pieces focus on animals and ecosystems with references to her Mexican heritage. She graduated from Mississippi State University, completed a residency at the Noxubee Wildlife Refuge, and frequently attends craft fairs and markets! You can find her work on brokentooth.art on Instagram.
Mississippians are fighters. Mississippians are creative. Mississippians know how to make it work and get things done.
If you had one billion dollars to invest in Mississippi, how would you spend your money?
I would invest in infrastructure, education, and community improvement efforts. The water crisis in Jackson was so heartbreaking to me. We shouldn’t have to deal with poor water quality from outdated infrastructure. The roads need to be fixed up too. Our state ranks very low for education in the nation, and I want to fix that. All kids deserve a good education and teachers deserve to be paid a good, livable wage for their invaluable service. Mississippi also suffers from poverty in so many areas across the state, so I want to make sure everyone can access community resources like healthy food, physical and mental healthcare, daycare services, extracurricular activities for kids and adults, and community centers that can cultivate togetherness and belonging.
What or who do you want to shamelessly promote? (It can absolutely be a project you’re working on, or something you are involved in.)
I am going to shamelessly promote my YouTube channel, Instagram, and Substack all under the name theNatalog. I am also working to open a small art and stationery shop called Mint Cherry Stationery this spring. I have an Instagram for it @mintcherrystationery and recently launched a Kickstarter. I am really working on my art, design, writing, and storytelling in general.
Also I will plug my mother’s OB GYN Practice, Lakeland Premier Women’s Clinic! It’s the best place for Women’s Healthcare in Jackson, MS!
Natalie Ford is a multi-passionate creative, living in Jersey City and working in NYC. She has an undying love for fashion, art, good food, and public transit trains. When she is not working her fashion job, she can be found dancing with the Jersey City Ballet or cheering on her favorite artists at K-pop concerts. Natalie runs “theNatalog” on a variety of social media platforms that showcases a log of her life adventures. She also enjoys skiing, skating, learning languages, and traveling the world.
One year ago:
Two years ago:
I hate that so many Mississippians must leave to pursue their dreams, but I respect and applaud Ms. Ford for doing just that!
Beautiful interview. You discover the most wonderful Mississippians!