I grew up in Hillsborough, New Jersey (shoutout to the BORO), and it was fabulous. Within a 5-mile radius, you could go to Shop-Rite and get your grocery shopping done, go to Bottle King and get some liquor and beer for the night, head over to Angelo's and grab a cheese pie (for you southerners, it's a cheese pizza), and run to Bagel Bop to get a dozen bagels for your work week. If you're a southerner or just anyone who didn't grow up in the north, you haven't the slightest idea of how awesome the north is compared to anywhere else in the country (but really though). Here are some reasons why leaving the north can be pretty heartbreaking.
1. You can't find a good pizza anywhere.
Yes, I may be Italian, BUT who doesn't love a good pizza?! Pizza is a food group up north. Pizza is just a food group in general. The way pizza is made up north is just 10 times better than any pizza made down south. There is no explaining it. I couldn't tell you why or how they do it, but it's simply amazing. It's greasy, it's cheesy, and the size of the pizza itself is a lot larger than anything you can get out of a Domino's pizza oven.
2. The appreciation for bagels is dismal.
Have you ever had a bagel from up north? Probably not, because then you'd understand my pain. Bagels are a way of life for any morning person. They are a perfect meal. Have you ever had a pork roll, egg and cheese on an everything bagel? You're missing out on everything that is good in life, let me tell ya.
3. Delis cease to exist.
The south is slacking on some good quality delis. There is nothing better than a mom and pop-owned deli. They know how to make sandwiches with a two-inch thickness of meat, cheese and love. Not to mention the hoagie rolls that they put the meat on is homemade daily, so you know you're getting the best sandwich you could possibly get.
4. Night life just doesn't compare.
Whether you live in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island or New York, you're only an hour or two away from any major city. That means Broadway shows, awesome outlet malls, casinos, fantastic restaurants and clubs. There is a lot that you can do in such a short area around your own city that you live in. Regardless of whether you want to go to the big cities or not, the north has proved to have some pretty awesome bars.
5. Big cities = better job opportunities.
Rightfully so. Philadelphia, New York City, Pittsburgh, Newark, Elizabeth City, the list goes on and on. With an area that has a lot of cities, it is guaranteed to produce offices that are in search for young college bucks like us. The south is all about their small towns, and that's great. I've had enough small town love for the rest of my life. I want a city as big as my dreams and as diverse as my closet.
6. What happened to all the bakeries and pastry shops?!
I'm sure the south has some bomb bakeries and pastry shops, but they're few and far between compared to the locations that the north harbors. There isn't anything better than a nice loaf of fresh baked bread and a cannoli.
7. Daily life drags on and on.
I know I'm going to get some southerners mad at me here, but, you guys are so slow. I am busy 90 percent of my day. You are just taking your sweet time in the grocery store, driving down the street, walking in front of me. MOVE. I am busy. I have places to be. The world does not revolve around you. Please move.
8. The language is just weird.
This is an obvious reason that moving down south is a struggle for us northerners. It's no secret that northerners have dirty mouths. "Bless your heart," "y'all," "fixin' to" and "cut the light on" are just a few sayings I have come to hear on a daily basis while living in the south. I'm almost certain the north doesn't have anything similar to the above, except for "you guys."
I could honestly go on and on and on about the differences between the north and the south and how being down south is such a culture shock if you're from the north, but, with everything being said, it just makes it 10 times easier to appreciate home whenever you go back up north to visit.
