I never really thought about my home, New Jersey, until I went to college on the West Coast. I was not scared to continue my education by attending a college on the opposite side of the country. My parents and my siblings visited me during Family Weekend, and I began to think a little more about my home after they said goodbye to me. After being in college for a little over one month, I realized how much I miss New Jersey. I hate to admit it, but it is true. Although I cannot be happier going to college in a state where the weather is almost perfect, sunny and 80-degrees (excluding the occasional monsoons), I sometimes ponder about what I believe are the best things about New Jersey, besides from my family being there.
The pizza and the bagels are to die for. Every time I rave about these foods to my friends who are not from New Jersey, they tell me that I am crazy for obsessing over food. Truthfully, nothing can compare to soft bagels that do not taste like cardboard, topped with egg, cheese and Taylor Ham. I cannot forget about the pizza in New Jersey, too. From thin-crust to thick-crust, the pizza is out of this world. You will have to taste the pizza and the bagels to know exactly what I am writing about.
Another perk of living in New Jersey is its geographical location of being a reasonable driving distance away from New York City. Whether you are driving to the city via car or taking the bus or a train, the travel will always be worth it. New York City, or as I enjoy referring it to as "the city that never sleeps," is filled with many attractions tourists can visit. There is nothing better than snacking at Smorgasburg, attending a Broadway show or just taking a stroll through the concrete jungle.
For those of you who do not know, New Jersey is a home of multiple beach-towns. From eating and shopping at Pier Village in Long Branch, cruising on boats in LBI, to having a blast on the boardwalk in Point Pleasant, there are various activities visitors of New Jersey can do.
Not everything in life can be flawless. It is safe to say that New Jersey possesses its cons too.
Ah, snow. What I realized is that the first snowfall is pretty, but it is not that great when it is the reason why the plans you previously made had to be cancelled. (Blame it on the poor driving conditions.) A snow day is nice every now and then, which means no school and a day that can be used to catch up on sleep.
Driving back to North Jersey from down the shore on I-95 can be a nightmare. Besides from the packed traffic, the road rage citizens of New Jersey have is not pleasant.
And finally, there are the classic questions I am asked on a daily basis every time I tell people I am from New Jersey. "Have you ever pumped your own gas before?" "Do you go to the Jersey Shore often?" No. "Ahh, so you are from Joisey?" It's pronounced "Jersey". (New Jerseyans do not say "Joisey".)
New Jersey, I am looking forward to the next time we will meet again (in hopes the weather will not be too terrible).
