1. Jersey accents are NOT what you see on tv

I'll be the first to admit that I was expecting everyone to sound like they had just walked out of an MTV hit series. That wasn't the case. That being said, while the local Jerseyans (Jersians? Jersites? Jerseyanite?) definitely had strange sounding sounds, like A's, it was nothing near what I expected.

2. The bagels really are worth the hype

I've never been a huge bagel fan. I find them plain and fine to eat in a bind but not to die for. Going up north for college, I discovered the debate between New Jersey and New York bagels. I was confused, but now I understand. The first one I got was an egg bagel with egg, which was good. After that, I got a pizza bagel, and it actually changed my life. I don't know how, but it was so much different and so much better than any other bagel I'd ever had.

3. The shore isn't all jammed packed and scary year-round

As an outsider, my only view of Jersey came from the tv show. I was pretty sure that the show wasn't accurate, but I had nothing else to work with. I was lucky enough to be up before Memorial Day weekend, which I learned was the start of the craziness. When I was there, Seaside Heights in particular, many of the places were open, but there weren't floods of people for us to get lost in. It'll be crazy later, but I learned it wasn't a 24//7 sort of dealio.

4. It's not constant floods and storms

I'm from a place where flooding happens ALL the time, so I just kind of assume that's the case everywhere else. As we were driving on a road that ran RIGHT along the coast, we saw a brand new library. I was shocked because it would be so easy for flooding to destroy all the books. Long story short, there isn't a Sandy every year.

5. The traffic is the woat

We didn't travel on big roads too often, but, on my way to the airport, it wasn't great. Not the worst from what I've heard, but I still was baffled by just how standstill everything was. That is just waaaay too many people in a small area.

6. The seafood is to die for

I had shrimp every day I was there, but it was great. Being from a landlocked state, I don't have the joy of delicious and genuine seafood. I tried sushi for the first time ever, and it was so yummy. I ate shrimp on the boardwalk overlooking the ocean. It's all just so fresh and magical, and I would eat it every day if I could.

7. It's not just one giant city

I know that New Jersey is called the Garden State, but I was expecting to go and see one massive metropolis. Obviously, this wasn't the case. Middletown was one of the prettiest places ever, and all of the rain made it more green than back home. There was space and fresh air, and we were right by the bay, which added to the beauty of the suburban setting.

I'm not running to move there anytime soon, but I love my first trip to Jersey, and I can't wait to go again.