A small piece of land located in Monmouth County, New Jersey, that most people have yet to visit is called Millstone Twp, NJ. Unlike the majority, some of us have been lucky to call these 37,000 acres home for most of our lives. When you live in a small town like Millstone, you don’t necessarily realize how different this town is compared to others around us. As I made my way down the Quad for my first day at Colgate, we began to ask each other, “Where do you call home?” After hearing about various homes for hundreds of other students, it made me realize that there are certain things that you can only really understand if you’re from the beautiful hills of Millstone Twp, NJ. And this article is for those who can understand those things just as well as I can.
1. Just saying you live in “The Middle of Nowhere” because no one’s heard of Millstone.
As I’m trying to explain to a bunch of my new friends where I live, I don’t have the luxury of saying, “Oh, I’m just twenty miles west of San Diego,” or, “I live right outside of Philly,” and people will have a general inclination of where you live. When you live in Millstone Twp, NJ you live near literally nothing. Most of the time, people in New Jersey don’t even know Millstone exists, so half the time I just explain Millstone as this quiet little town located in the middle of nowhere… but that’s not always easy. After I explain Millstone as being the corner between Nothing and Nothing, I generally begin to see a big stare of confusion along the person’s face. At this point, I can read their minds, “Why do you want to live in the middle of nowhere?” Well, it’s kind of beautiful there 24/7 and we have some pretty sweet pizza.
2. Seeing more deer than actual people.
It always amuses me to see how some hunters struggle for days trying to hunt down deer in the middle of freezing forests. I’m tempted to just send them a postcard from Millstone, Twp NJ saying, “Come here… a deer will most likely hit you before you can hit them.” But seriously, though, it’s impossible to go two nights without seeing hoards of deer pillaging the rural streets of Millstone, Twp.
3. Not being able to go shopping in town.
When I came to college and started talking to people about where they’re from, they connected with others by saying, “Oh! We have a huge Starbucks in my town too!” or “I love the SoulCycle in my town too!” Let me tell you something about Millstone Twp…. there is no downtown. If you need to go food shopping, it’s going to take you at least 20 minutes to get there. If you need to get clothes, get ready to go to the Freehold Raceway Mall, conveniently NOT located in town. Other than a laundry service, a church, a temple, a pharmacy, and a couple of pizzerias, you’ll just find open land.
4. Knowing the Fifth Grade Bash was the most lit thing to happen in Millstone since you’ve been there.
Right before elementary school students voyage off into the dark depths of middle school, the PTA throws a Fifth Grade Bash in the cafeteria and you can not contain your excitement for it. Is it partly because you love dancing? Or maybe because you can hang out with your friends all night? Or maybe because there’s nothing else really going on in Millstone and this is something you can actually look forward to? … You decide.
5. Never understanding why we don’t have a high school.
If you walked into the Millstone Middle School Performing Arts Center, I can guarantee you that you wouldn’t think you were in a Middle School Auditorium. There’s professional lighting, a spacious stage, and cushioned seats that rival some of the seating along Broadway. There’s no other way to say it, MMS is pretty lit. If you’re like me, then, you have to be questioning how we could arguably have the nicest middle school in the state, but don’t have a high school. Allentown is nice and all, but there’s no way it beats being 5 minutes away from school.
6. Knowing that you found your true home.
Regardless of the various inconveniences that come along with living in the middle of nowhere, there is nothing I wouldn’t do to call Millstone my home. You make some of the strongest friendships in this little town that most people haven’t even heard of in their lives. Driving home from school, you get to see horses striding along in the afternoon daze, breath-taking sunsets, and the people who you love more than anything. Home is so much more than a building with four walls, home is where you know you’re accepted, loved, and valued. And Millstone has become that home for me.
