Hello!  And thank you for reading!

As I write this, I am happily back home in Florida... I was away for two weeks, back up north in New Jersey.  Having been born in the great state of New Jersey, I naturally felt very happy to be home.   Home.... Home in NJ where most of my friends and family are....But now, I am home, home in Florida, home where I now live.  

Now that I have had some time to reflect, I feel like I can now list  a few reasons why I truly do identify as a northerner as opposed to a southerner.... And believe I always will...

In the North, 

1) Pizza, Bagels and Chinese Food are real..... OK, and Subs..... In the south, they are pretending....

2) Accents make sense... In NJ, "see it" is 2 words meaning the obvious... In the south, it is one word, meaning "sit".... Sit..... I swear....

3) There are no confederate flags in view - In FL, there are tons of these ugly flags, and I am sorry if I am insulting you... and this is not political at all, this is pure aesthetics... They are an ugly form of "decor", and if I see one on your car, yes, my northern sensibilities will kick in and I will automatically assume you are a hick....

4) The beaches rule... Down the Shore in New Jersey is better than any other beach, even the gorgeous gulf coast beaches of Florida... I can't say why it is better, it just is... There is a unique vibe that only exists in this one glorious spot...

5) There are book stores everywhere... Here, I have to drive 30 minutes to find one... In NJ, there is one within a 5 mile radius... And not just the box chains, but there are also small local shops with tons of exciting new and used books to pour through.... Here in FL, not so much... In fact, our local B&N just closed down for what I hear is a teen clothing store... I mean really??

6) It is accepted that when you order food and it doesn't come out the way you asked, you can return it... In the south, they look at me like I have 3 heads.... 

7) People understand that I am not shouting... Everyone talks like this!

8) People are friendly and talkative... Southern hospitality is a myth... Not that southerners are rude, but the whole southern charm, "y'all come back and see us" thing?  I have not seen it in play.... 

9) People have a standard pace for walking, driving and speaking... In the south, no, not so much.... It is painstaking to walk down the street, and do not get me started on driving!  OMG!!

10)  Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, there are DINERS!!  Regular diners where you can order a cheeseburger at 3am and know it will be great!! Or breakfast at 3am, if you so choose... 

And that's that... This is why I will be a Northerner living in the South... And will never be a Southerner.... 

This is not to say that the South doesn't have a lot of wonderful things to offer... It does.  And the people I have met have for the most part, been kind and smart.... So this is not to diss everyone and everything southern.... It just means, no matter where I go, a little part of my heart will always miss New Jersey....

Thank you for reading and for sharing!!