If you’re unfamiliar with the Southern US culture, you’re going to be in for some serious culture shock. I moved to VA from the Bay Area when I was 10. Things were very different for me, though there have been significant improvements to Richmond since the early 90’s. I can’t speak to Raleigh, specifically, but it does have a lot in common with Richmond, and I suspect much of my experience in Richmond would be analogous to Raleigh.
Things I remember being shocked by: Confederate “Southern Pride” flags, more churches than gas stations, limited shopping and cuisine (though this has improved greatly), “Sir” and “Ma’am,” pickup trucks (giant ones), guns, Republican politics, and the “southern drawl” accent.
There is a lot to like too, especially as southern cities are finally emerging from their bizarre obsession with their Confederate histories. There is an incredibly wholesome sincerity to people in the South. It is not uncommon for people to go way out of their way to help a stranger. Having a charitable heart is a noble virtue. When I travel to cities in other parts of the US, and I hold the door for someone, I often get suspicious looks like I’m only holding the door because I’m working an angle or something—it’s hard for them to process why a total stranger would hold the door for someone else without some kind of benefit. I find those moments revealing about their culture, and makes me appreciate living in a place where kindness to others is rewarded with a courteous smile and “thanks.”