Back when I was applying to college, I made it a mission to leave New Jersey by whatever means necessary. Yet after being away for nearly a year, excluding breaks, I've come to appreciate and miss the many components of the Garden State that made it such a great place to grow up in. Even though I'm happy here in California, I've come to miss various things about my home state. Here's a list of 10 of them.

1. Diners

No matter what time of day, diners were always a good idea when my friends and I needed something to do. They were where we went mornings after weekend sleepovers, or nighttime spots to get our grease fix. You just can't find as many of these anywhere else.

2. The Shore

Yeah, it has a bad rep because of MTV, but it's also a place where I've made many memories as a child. While the beaches in California are nice, there's just nothing like sitting in the sand with my slice of oversized pizza and Kohrs, or walking the boardwalk and riding amusement park rides.

3. The Pace

Since I've been out west, I've faced a lot of criticism for walking too quickly. My friends in the South and the Midwest also share my plight, and it sucks when I have to walk behind a line of people who are enjoying their sweet time. I still have my "I got places to be and things to do" mentality, and I just want to keep moving quickly.

4. The Drivers

While they are notoriously crazy, New Jersey drivers still know how to drive. The other month, I found everyone driving on I-10 in LA County 15 miles per hour below the speed limit because of the rain. I just got crazed stares from people for going slightly above the speed limit. Plus, we also use our turn signals at the right time for the most part.

5. The Italian Culture

I sincerely miss good pizza out here. Back home, I can't go five minutes without passing by a pizzeria in my hometown. Also, I can't find any delis or bakeries here that have subs with prosciutto or cannolis. Che pazzo!

6. Dunkin Donuts and Wawa

I love being robbed by Starbucks as much as the next person, but I simply don't have the money to buy expensive coffee drinks. I miss those mornings when I would drive over to Dunkin or Wawa to buy a cheap caffeinated beverage, and still have enough money to take myself out to lunch, too. Better yet, I could buy it there as well.

7. Gas Attendants

It took me three tries out here before I finally mastered pumping my own gas. I miss being able to just sit inside my car while someone did it for me. If I was really lucky, they'd clean my windows, too. I know I'm lazy, but I grew up with this luxury and I want it back.

8. Jug Handles

Out of all the times I've almost got into accidents this semester, it's always been with left turns. Even though people say jug handles are terrible, they're a lot safer and force people to actually pay attention before turning. I'll just keep praying for my life whenever I'm on the road here.

9. A Passing Highway Lane

Over here, we have carpool and fast lane rather than just a normal left lane. When I'm driving by myself, I hate being stuck on the right because car pool requires more one person and fast lane is the equivalent to a toll. I miss being able to simply speed past terrible, slow drivers.

10. The Weather and Seasons

Let me start out by saying that it was 45 degrees with clouds when I left NJ after spring break, and I came back to 86 degrees and sunshine in California on the same day. As much as I love lounging poolside every day, I miss being able to see foliage and drinking hot apple cider. I also have a bunch of clothes that I can't wear out here because it's too warm, which just sucks.