Jersey Girls are a special breed of women. We are the girls that have a deep love affair with the shore and do not pump our own gas. We are the girls that pronounce water with a d sound and are damn proud of it. We are the girls of the Garden State.
I have always been a Central Jersey Girl (FYI: NJ is broken into North, Central and South). I was born in Freehold and moved to Jackson, aka Six Flags, New Jersey. I spend my summers at the shore in Point Pleasant and Long Branch. My vacations consisted of spending a week in Cape May, New Jersey—why vacation anywhere other than New Jersey? While summers at the shore are beautiful, fall is my favorite season at home. It is the time of year when apple and pumpkin picking are in and the leaves change to showcase a beautiful, Instagram worthy landscape of New Jersey.
Growing up in New Jersey, I was raised on Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi-- I come from a house divided. Jersey Girls are highly invested in both these artists. There is no better feeling than driving down Route Nine blasting “Born to Run.” Seeing either of these artists at Met Life Stadium (formally known as Giants Stadium) is surreal. They both play their best when at home in front of screaming Jersey Girls.
Much like Springsteen in his songs, I cherished my time in New Jersey, but could not wait to leave. This Jersey Girl wanted to explore the world or at least another state. When applying to colleges, I only looked at colleges out of state. I loved New Jersey, but I wanted to see something else. Ironically, I only went across the bridge to Pennsylvania, but as the saying goes, “You can take the girl out of Jersey, but you can’t take the Jersey out of the girl.” The majority of my friends at school were also Jersey Girls-- what can I say? We have a talent for finding each other. My friends that were not from Jersey would often ask me to say syrup, water, coffee, and Jersey in that obnoxious, nails on a chalkboard voice.
The minute I was out of Jersey, I could not wait to go back. Pennsylvania was a nice change of scenery, but it was no New Jersey. New Jersey was my home, and it had my heart. On weekends I came home, I would spend time with friends and family in Red Bank, along the shore, or at The Turing Point.
I recently came back from a trip to Hayden, Idaho. While Idaho has gorgeous mountains and coffee shacks with white coffee, it was no New Jersey. The day after my plane landed, this Jersey Girl raced to the shore for the boardwalk, ice cream and an ocean view. No matter where I go or what I do, New Jersey will always be my home, and I will always be a Jersey Girl.