New Jersey: the Armpit of America. Images of smoggy crime-infested cities, enormous multi-lane highways, and incisively rude fake tanned people come to mind. That is, if you're not from here.

I felt the same thing about my home state, and I couldn't wait to get out of it. But after spending the majority of the past two years away from Jersey, I've rediscovered all the beautiful, rare and original assets the Garden State has to offer that you can't find anywhere else in the country. I guarantee if you go to school outside of Jersey, you've definitely done one of these things when you come back home.

1. Going on the parkway and the turnpike finally doesn't stress you out but excites you to yell and curse at every driver you see.

2. You're so excited to eat the pizza, pork rolls, burgers, diner food and Wawa and your other local favorites that you make the huge mistake of squeezing them all into one day.

3. You're the moron who goes to the beach in the beginning of May and shivers underneath their towel just to be on the beach.

4. You can't wait to tell your home friends about how boring your school is compared to home.

5. You go to the city and so all the touristy activities you would usually hate just because it's only a short train ride away.

6. You also make your friends go to every diner, beach, boardwalk, farm, park, mall and Weird New Jersey location you can find out about, because you can.

7. You get super pumped when a Springsteen or Bon Jovi song starts playing, even though you didn't really listen to them before.

8. You finally realize how slow everyone else in the country moves.

9. You just love listening to people. The accents, the conversation topics, the friendliness (if you're lucky).

10. You've never felt more blessed that you didn't have to pump gas yourself.

11. You've never felt so much pride for living in the best state in the country.