After living in New Jersey for my entire life, I never thought about what it would be like to live anywhere else. I had everything I needed. However, going to college in another state has made me realize all the wonderful things I’ve always taken for granted. No matter what, New Jersey will always be home.
You don’t know how to pump your own gas
What is this contraption and how do you use it? For us New Jerseyans, pumping our own gas is just simply something we don’t do. I mean, why would I get out of my car and do it myself when someone else is legally required to do it. I wouldn’t even know where to start.
You know what a good bagel tastes like
You can’t even argue that bagels taste the same everywhere and ones from the grocery store definitely don’t compare. There is nothing like a fresh bagel from your local bagel place and chances are, there are multiple within minutes of each other.
You also know what good pizza tastes like
I don’t know what it is, but NJ/NY just do it better. Chances are you avoid commercial pizza like it’s the plague. There's nothing you could do to make me eat pizza from Little Caesar's.
“The City” is New York City
There’s no need to specify; we all know what you mean when you say “The City.”
Diners are a way of life
There’s one almost everywhere you look with practically any food you could ever want. We don’t quite understand why they aren’t everywhere; what’s not to like?
You can’t imagine life without pork roll
Of course, there are those people who call it Taylor Ham (but those people are wrong). Regardless, it’s so delicious; there’s nothing like a pork roll egg and cheese on a fresh bagel.
There’s probably a divide amongst your friends about your favorite sports teams
Are you a Mets or Yankees fan? Jets or Giants? Devils or Rangers?
Malls are a staple in our lives
Chances are, you’re no more than a 30 minute ride from at least one mall. If you can’t find what you’re looking for in one store, it’s not really a problem. The Target down the street probably has what you’re looking for.
You’ve had to defend NJ on multiple occasions because of the show “Jersey Shore”
I promise, that is not at all an accurate representation of this wonderful state. Take if from someone who lives near the beach.
You tell people where you’re from by identifying North, South, or Central Jersey
Whenever someone asks where I’m from, I proudly tell them Central Jersey. Despite what some people may think, there is in fact a Central Jersey. And if we bring it a step further, we know the parkway exits that correspond with our towns.
