I could have made it easy for myself and picked a nice and comfy little school right outside my hometown, taken a couple of low-key fashion classes, stayed there for four years with some casual friends, graduated, gotten a simple management position in the mall, and never leave the Jersey Shore.
I tip my hat to those that did stay; sometimes I wish I could’ve taken that route, when I miss home so much it hurts or when I FaceTime my sisters and have to hang up because I might cry. However, the amazing memories and opportunities that I have and will still experience here in New York are once in a lifetime and are worth every sacrifice.
New York City is the biggest, most stylized, fashion-focused spot in the U.S.. If I want to make it big in the fashion industry (like you wouldn’t believe), I have to be in New York. Marist has one of the top fashion programs in the country and I am so grateful to be able to partake in it.
As happy and as blessed as I am to be here, it has made me appreciate my family and friends back home, and my home as well, more than I ever thought I would. I have never been more proud to say I am from Jersey, even with the smirks or eye rolls as the Jersey Shore TV show starts playing in these New Yorkers’ minds. I can’t stop the stereotypes, so I might as well embrace them. My friends call me "extra" and I laugh because being "extra" really just means being a "Jersey girl".
One of the most shocking things to me, but unshockingly to my friends and family back home, is that I have separation anxiety from Dunkin' Donuts. Here, everyone is team Starbucks galore but back home, Dunkin’ Donuts is the top contender and I crave my Dunkin iced coffee every single day.
What goes perfect with a Dunkin iced coffee you might ask? A Wawa sandwich. Yes, the hype about Wawa is definitely real and I feel sorry for those who do not have the guilty pleasure of living within five minutes of one, if not multiple, Wawas.
Oh, and where do I eat this god-gifted meal you say? At the beach! Jersey summers are always one for the books. Every day in Jersey is a beach day, a 20 minute drive down to the shore with a Dunkin iced coffee in one hand and a Wawa sandwich in the other. While being here, I miss the beach and the ocean more than ever before. I am always trying to explain what the Jersey Shore is all about to my friends here, begging for them to share in the excitement with me.
I will never regret going to an out-of-state school; the opportunities and friendships I have made here are ones I would never trade. I learned to live in the moment and "seize the day" because I'm only here for four years that'll fly by. The new experiences are indescribable and are exactly what I need to continue to grow as a person. However, being away from home has given me the most pride and appreciation for my hometown, and those within that is where my heart forever lies.
