As it has just snowed in South Jersey where I live, I am thinking about the summer that seems so far away! This yearning for warm weather and a hot sun includes wanting to be back on the beach at the Jersey shore, experiencing the beach that never gets old. Only 162 days till the first day of summer!

1. Different Beaches.

The Jersey Shore is actually the whole coastal length of the state. So being that South Jersey and North Jersey are practically two different states, the northern beaches and the southern beaches have very different flavors to them. The northern beaches are typically the close getaway spot for New Yorkers, and North New Jerseyans, and the southern beaches for Philadelphians and South Jerseyans. So the lifestyle of each group follows them to the beach and the beach towns become an extension of those larger areas.

2. Seafood.

Being that I am from South Jersey, I have mainly experienced the South Jersey beaches. And let me tell you, the seafood down the shore is what I most look forward to when I go. The seafood that is harvested in the ocean or the bay a few blocks away from the restaurant gives a delicious smell to the air that some amy never experience before this. I am not a big seafood fan on a regular day, but when I go down to the shore, it's a whole other story.

3. Pizza.

When you take a stroll down the Ocean City board walk, every other business is a pizza joint. They all say, "Best pizza on the boardwalk!", on their signs in big block letters, but they're right. Every pizza shop is the best pizza on the boardwalk. They all have their own touch that separates them from the next, but they are all superbly delicious. And many of the pizza places on the boardwalk have a deal for any customer, where if you eat a whole pizza of theirs in under the last record time that was made, you get free pizza for the whole summer! This may not sound like too big of a deal for some, but I promise that you have never seen a larger pizza in your life. One slice is the equivalent to 2 or 3 in your local pizzeria, so it is certainly a large feat! I have yet to try this but I will eventually when I stop chickening out!

4. Fried Everything.

I'm aware that this is my third food category but if you have been to the Jersey shore, I know that you know that each of these categories deserve to stand alone. The boardwalk food shops that stand in-between the pizza places offer a variety of other delicious and very unhealthy foods. The french fries are always good, some coming in the typical stick shape, some in curly rings and some in thin slices, looking like potato chips on a stick. These places also have deep-fried Oreos, deep-fried candy bars, fried pickles, and anything else the you can imagine is most likely fried in the kitchen of one of these boardwalk store fronts.

5. Sweets!

Ice Cream from Kohr's Brothers, salt water taffy from Shriver's or James' (wherever your loyalty lies), fudge from the Fudge Kitchen, Shriver's or Steel's (again, wherever your loyalty lies) and Johnson's popcorn. These sweet treats are a the perfect ending to any of the deliciously salty and fatty dinners you ate that evening. And salt water taffy, fudge and popcorn are really great gifts to bring home to family and friends (or yourself) to have as a lasting memory of the shore. So much better than any kind of trinket or ornament that says *beach town*, NJ!

6. Sunrise.

The sunrise at the Jersey shore is beautiful calm time of day that I hope everyone gets to experience at some point in their lives. The sunrise on the ocean is best seen while sitting on a towel in your favorite shorts and sweatshirt, wrapped in another towel if the morning is chilly, with yourself, your significant other, a friend or a family member. Sitting in silence, watching the water covered horizon for the first glimpse of the sun, listening to the light crash of the waves on the sand, is a bonding experience for you and anyone you're with, even if that's yourself and nature. Maybe add some yoga in to the morning sunrise session if you really want to connect with yourself.

7. Sunset.

The sunset at the Jersey shore is equally as gorgeous as the sunrise and I don't think I would ever be able to chose which I preferred. The sunset is seen on the bayside of whichever island you're on and I am so lucky to have the perfect viewing spot on my favorite Jersey shore island. (I won't tell!) The sunset, more quiet than the sunrise as the bay is a much calmer being than the ocean, turns the sky a deep mixture of orange, red and pink, infecting everything around it with these colors. The water turns orange, your skin turns pink and your hair turns red. The sunset too is a bonding experience for yourself, whoever you're with, and nature.

8. The beach.

The beach at the jersey shore is pristine and I have to say, although it might be biased, I like the southern beaches better than the northern, and ill tell you why. The farther south you go, the sand becomes more and more fine. It feels like a cloud under your feet that falls apart with each footstep. And the southern beaches have a very gradual slope from the beach to the start of the water to the deep sections. Sometimes, its so shallow for so long, that sand bars occur! When there is a sand bar, you walk into the ocean and it slowly gets about thigh deep, gets shallow again, and leads up to a literal bar of sand that is uncovered by the water. Crossing over the sand bar and back in to the water is where the "traditional" ocean structure starts, shallow to deep. This sand bar makes the first pool of water very warm, calm and clear, like a real pool! I can't say whether this does or doesn't happen at the northern beaches, but I have never experienced it. But what I have experienced at the northern beaches is coarser sand and a steeper, faster dropping shelf in the water, making swimming not as easy, especially towards the end of the day when this shelf gets larger from the constant beating of the waves. But any beach you go to is always going to be great! Unless there's a land breeze... the flies are relentless.

9. Endless activities.

Living at the beach for the whole summer is truly a dream. Between the beach and the food and the endless amount of things to do, it is a wonderful experience. There are probably more mini golf stands at the jersey shore than anywhere else in the world which can make for a competitive summer mini golf series between you and your friends. Each course is different so you can really test and master your skills. Some beaches have more rides than others, the Ocean City and Wildwood boardwalks having the most. But most beaches have some sort of arcade and variety of rides that can really top off your day. They are fun no matter how old you are!

10. Memories.

If you spend your whole summer at the Jersey shore, a week, or just a day, I can guarantee that you will go home with some amazing memories that will last a lifetime. It is really easy for us from New Jersey, since a great beach is only about an hour drive away, and we are incredibly lucky for that so we can spend as much time there as possible. But no matter where you're from, try and get there someday. Make it your family vacation, personal getaway, honeymoon or just a spontaneous trip! Some of my favorite memories are of days the jersey shore and I can't wait to get back down there and create more this summer.