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Apart from four
years of college in Middlebury, Vermont and a five-month stay in
Segovia, Spain, I have lived my entire life in New Jersey. With the
passing of each year, my appreciation for the Garden State grows,
and I remain convinced that there is no place in which I would
rather live. In trying to understand the reasons behind my love for
New Jersey, I will share my own experience and describe New Jersey
in the way that I have come to know it. Although my personal
circumstances may differ from those of other New Jerseyans, the
purpose of this article is to explain what New Jersey means to me.
I love the Garden State for the character of its residents, the
diversity of its landscape, and its proximity to other attractive
areas.
As a people, I
believe that New Jersey residents are assertive. We live efficient,
fast-paced lives, and we are accustomed to getting things done
quickly and easily. When we see something we want, we head straight
for it with little hesitation, refusing to let fear hold us back.
As a result, we may have a stronger tendency to speak our minds in
any given situation. In New Jersey, we grow up pushing ourselves to
the limit, often resulting in success and memorable experiences. I
enjoy spending time with New Jerseyans because I think our assertive
nature causes us to milk life for all its worth.
With its dense
population, New Jersey is full of tightly-knit communities. The
State is dominated by small suburban towns, most of which have a
distinct meeting center and a welcoming environment. Strong public
education allows parents to feel confident when sending their
children to school in their home towns. This helps to build a sense
of community and facilitates the establishment of life-long
friendships. Residents grow to love their towns because they spend
all of their time there, and all of their friends live within close
proximity. Six years after graduating from Ramsey High School, I am
still in constant contact with many friends from my childhood, and I
know many other New Jerseyans who can say the same. Just as Zack
Braff illustrated in the film Garden State, New Jersey allows
individuals to build and maintain friendships for a lifetime.
Residents
of New Jersey communities are also fortunate to enjoy its diverse
landscape. From the beautiful beaches of South Jersey and the vast
wilderness of the Pinelands to the small mountains scattered across
the State, New Jersey boasts every type of terrain. In fact, New
Jersey has the most diverse ecosystem of any state in the country
with mountains, seashore, farmland, forests and wetlands.
From the calm balance of suburban living to
the excitement of cities such as Hoboken and Atlantic City, New
Jersey satisfies everyone’s thirst for a diverse lifestyle.
The Garden State
also benefits from the refreshing, colorful change of seasons.
Here, one can enjoy the warmth of summer and the beauty of a snowy
winter. One can witness the splendor of fall foliage and feel the
freshness of a full spring. With regard to landscape and climate,
New Jersey truly has something for everyone, and this variety helps
to keep the State alive, energized, and refreshed.
Lastly, New
Jersey’s central location on the metropolitan East Coast makes it an
exciting, convenient state in which to live. Most New Jerseyans can
access New York, the greatest city in the world, within an hour or
two. On any given day or night, one can take advantage of the
City’s countless opportunities for entertainment and then return
home without having to tolerate the expense or stress of living in
New York.
In addition,
there are nine professional sports teams whose stadiums reside
within close proximity to New Jersey, providing athletic
entertainment all year round. Our State lies a mere four hours from
some of the best skiing on the East Coast, making weekend trips to
the mountains an ever-present option. Within equal proximity is the
Nation’s great capital, Washington, D.C., where many New Jerseyans
visit for reasons of business and pleasure. The city of
Philadelphia, rich in history and culture, also lies within a one to
two-hour drive for most state residents.
In the end, it is
New Jersey’s physical character and collective personality that
allow it to stand out in America. Our State is famous in many
different ways; many U.S. residents have formed an opinion of New
Jersey, regardless of whether or not they have spent a significant
amount of time here. When I went to college and first encountered
the legendary caricatures of New Jersey, I used to become angry and
upset. Now, I just smile and laugh with the self-assured knowledge
that New Jersey is, indeed, an excellent place in which to live.
Despite the fact
that there are negative external images of the Garden State, I
appreciate the fact that these perceptions exist. I am proud
to live in a state that is a frequent, worthy topic of discussion, a
state that is characterized by action and variety. |
