New Jersey is the greatest state in the country. I don't care what Texas thinks. There is no other state that is as wonderful and unique as my home state. There are so many things to love about it that you can't always find in other states anywhere else. Sure, some other states have Wawa, Dunkin' Donuts, or amazing pizza and bagels. Others states might have boardwalks, but they don't live up to what the Jersey Shore has to offer. And please tell me another state that is in a war over what to call our prized breakfast meat. It's pork roll, by the way. The summer before I made the big cross-country move to California, I made sure to take advantage of the things I knew I would miss. But I've come to realize there are things I really miss about New Jersey that I never even thought about or anticipated missing.

1. Not being made fun of for the way I say "water" or "Mario."

I'm not saying anything wrong. I'm just saying them in the wrong place. Not to mention that ONE time I said "taco" weird and now my friends thinks all of New Jersey doesn't know how to say "taco." Sorry everybody.

2. Surf Taco

Speaking of tacos.....

I moved to Southern California, one of the best places to get Mexican food other than Mexico itself. But there's nothing quite like going to Surf Taco after an afternoon of walking around and, more recently, catching Pokemon in Red Bank. Also, my friend once made eye contact with Jon Stewart at Surf Taco, so that goes to show that it's a quality dining experience.

3. The Biggest Small Town

Ah, the good ol' Middletown. I never thought I would ever miss a place where I know everyone and no one at the same time. A place that never changes. A town big enough for seventeen public schools, but small enough that gossip travels faster than the speed of light. But now I find myself missing things like Middletown Day, The Evil Clown, or The Buffalo.

I also tweeted this picture with the caption "When people ask what my hometown is like I'm just going to show them this" and it's my most successful tweet of all time.

4. Lighthouses

This isn't really something that is specific to New Jersey. Many states have lighthouses, and not a ton of people I know from home really care about lighthouses. But my mom LOVES lighthouses, so my childhood is filled with plenty of memories climbing them. There aren't many near LA and I miss driving down to The Twin Lights or the Sandy Hook Lighthouse on a cool day in the summer or a warm day in the fall to climb one.

I also miss my mom too, so I might just be missing lighthouses by assoication.

5. The Beach

I honestly never thought I'd miss the beach when leaving New Jersey. I was only a seven minute drive from Sandy Hook Beach. Now I'm still only about ten minutes away, but that extra three minutes makes a huge difference. Also, the Pacific Ocean is nothing like the Atlantic. It's cold and the waves are meant for surfing, not swimming. There's also little to no humidity here, which is awesome everywhere else. But it makes for a much colder beach.

6. The Parkway

It's not like the Garden State Parkway is the most glorious road on earth, but the 405 makes the parkway look like the Disneyland of driving. Unless you're in congested areas like the Oranges traffic is rarely terrible and the all of the trees and grass on the side add a nice aesthetic touch.

7. Jughandles

Jughandles sound inconvenient in theory, but when you have to make a left turn on a busy highway you'll realize just how smart New Jersey is.

8. Gas Stations

And by gas stations, I actually mean not pumping my own gas. I may not actually have a car in California, but whenever I'm with a friend who's getting gas, I feel like it's not even worth it to own a car here. What's the point if you can't use that time to check your e-mails or Facebook while getting gas?

9. Italian Culture

There are certain customs that I thought were universal until I moved to a city where the Italian culture isn't as prominent. No one on the west coast dares to say "mozzarell." And apparently having a decorative towel in your bathroom that your mom tells you not to actually use is just an Italian thing. Who knew? AND THE FOOD!!! It's just not the same here. I have yet to find a real Italian bakery here that has those cookies. You know what cookies I'm talking about.

I've come to realize that even though by blood I'm not Italian, being from New Jersey pretty much makes me Italian. But I am grateful to have met Talia, an actual Italian-American who once lived in New York, who understands all this.

10. The Fall

I never thought I would miss the seasons because I just really love summer and I can't stand the cold. But I really miss apple picking and corn mazes more than I thought I would. I wish Casola Farms would open up some pumpkin patches out here.

11. The Pride

Like I said, New Jersey is unique. We are proud of being one of the original thirteen colonies. We are proud of all of the famous people New Jersey has given to the world, like Bruce, Bon Jovi, Peter Dinklage, Queen Latifah, Danny DeVito. We are proud of our beaches, our lakes, our hiking trails. We are proud of being the Garden State. I am proud to say that I am from New Jersey.