Welcome to the Jersey Shore Habitat

When people think of the beach, they may have some misconceptions about America’s Armpit: New Jersey. The MTV show of the 2000s and 2010s featured a bunch of people from Staten Island (which is in New York by the way) being as stereotypical as possible. This was “The Jersey Shore” for many.

But growing, I spent time in South Jersey, north of Cape May and the Wildwoods (there are a few), on a 7-mile island (conveniently called 7-Mile Island). The beaches on this island were smaller, well guarded, and fairly shallow. It was perfect for families wanting a safe area for their kids to enjoy - and it still is.

From my (limited) experience, New Jersey takes care of the beaches. Each town provides seasonal tags the produce enough revenue for lifeguards and cleaning crews. Their sand dunes are well protected and high, preventing damages from storms. Even after super storm Sandy in 2012, the beaches were ready for the 2013 season.

Picture of Ocean City, NJ.

But the Jersey Shore isn’t just an excellent place for people, it’s also a fantastic habitat for plants and animals. Laughing Gulls are a dime a dozen - stalking people foolish enough to bring food to the beach - however, the rarer Red Knots can also be spotted on their migration from Mexico to Canada, stuffing themselves on horseshoe crab eggs to complete the journey. 7-Mile Island has two bird sanctuaries, along with a protected area at the southern tip of the island, and a Wetlands Institute that educates visitors on local marine wildlife.

Cacti can be seen in the sand dunes, while sea grass and kelp will wash up during a bad storm. There are rocks for an octopus to hide and barnacles to stick to. The brackish water of the back bays that separate the many barrier islands from the mainland are good spawning area for sharks and fish. Plenty of filter feeders like clams and muscles hang out in those waters too.

Even bunnies and rabbits call the islands home. They have very few predators on the islands (apart from people’s pet dogs which are supposed to be on leashes).

Off the coast of New Jersey, the state has started building artificial reefs for animals, fishermen, and divers. They sink boats and other materials (even a whole subway car in some reports) to build the reefs. It’s part of an effort to keep the ocean habitat diverse and healthy.

Though I didn’t see them this year, a family of dolphins tend to hang out at the southern tip of 7-Mile Island. They’re far enough away that people can’t really get to them, but ever year someone tries to swim out to them. The lifeguards blow their whistles and, if the people are really stupid, bring out a life boat to rescue the morons. Not only is the surf strong going out to sea once you can’t touch the bottom, the dolphins also aren’t very friendly and will bludgeon anything that gets to near.

However if you see the dolphins, you can rest assure that sharks in the area have scattered. 

Yes, sharks are off the Jersey coast (like in ever ocean), however the shallower waters only provide easy access for sand sharks and dogfish to come close. Earlier this year (2023), a surfer was bitten by a shark, but they was fine.

Remember, the ocean isn’t just your playground. It’s an ecosystem and habitat that provides food and shelter to a lot of plants and animals. Migratory birds enjoy the layover before flying north to Canada. Turtles and horseshoe crabs feel safe enough to lay their eggs. You can go dolphin and whale watching. You might even spot a bunny or two.

100 years ago, hardly anyone lived on 7-Mile Island. Now there’s summer houses from North to Southern tip. It’s only three blocks wide from East to West. And rising seas could swallow it whole.

Welcome to the real Jersey Shore.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, comment, and/or share it. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y’all like hearing from me.

Until next week.

Welcome to the End of a Chapter

I knew it was coming.

I just thought I'd have a little bit more time, but that's not how life goes. Life doesn't give you a clean break when things changing. I can't teleport myself from one place to the next with all my stuff ready to move with me.

After almost six months, I've found a wonderful job opportunity. I'm really excited and it's in a field that I'm very passionate about.

However, it will take me away from the life I've built in Northern New Jersey and taking me back to my home state of Virginia.

I have a lot of feelings about this transition. I'm excited for the job - relieved to finally have a job. I'm happy to be moving closer to the friends and family I left behind in Virginia. I feel ready for the next adventure I'm to go on.

But I'm also sad. I've made some really good friends in New Jersey and they are just as sad as I am that I'm leaving. From my yoga teacher to the people I see every week at the farmer's market. From my two writing groups to my wonderful landlady and her three adorable beagles. I'm going to miss all of them.

I'm going to miss being able to roll out of bed on a Friday morning to catch the train into New York City. I'm going to miss going and seeing a show on a random night of the week because I can always catch the last train home (even if there are tons of drunk kids on it with me). I'm going to miss my favorite hiking spots and the view of the city from Rt 17 South in Ramsey.

I've found myself with a wonderful opportunity and I've decided to take it. I don't know what's exactly is about to happen next, but I've been in this position before.

The first time I moved for my first job, it wasn't a difficult transition. I was about an hour away from my friends and family. The second move from Maryland to New Jersey was a lot harder. I didn't know anyone in New Jersey except for a few coworkers. I cried the entire drive. I burst into tears as soon as the movers showed up at my apartment.

Thankfully, my roommate I lived with that first year in New Jersey was one of the most wonderful people I could have met.

I moved again after a year, but only ten minutes up the way. It wasn't the hardest move and I was excited to have my own place again. My landlady was so nice and the doggies so cute.

Part of me wishes that I could fast-forward through the next few months. Looking back on those first few moves, I remember the emotions that the change caused. There's so much work I have to do, but I can't do it all at once. I still have to take everything one day at a time.

I know that this will all turn out for the best. I just have to get through saying good bye and settling into my new home. I don't want to lose the relationships I've gained, but I know the reality of this type of move.

I'm happy to be going back to Virginia. I'm excited for this job.

I'm sad that this chapter of my life is coming to a close.

I wish I knew more about what the next chapter brings.

Hopefully it's not a cliffhanger.

Welcome to the Jersey Shore

Happy Father's Day!

When I think of my dad and his dad, I often think about the Jersey Shore. As a kid, I'd spend at least a week or two with my family at the shore, just as my dad spent his childhood at there.

It was awesome.

Ocean City New Jersey  - 2019

Though to be fair, I did spend a good three years terrified of the ocean because my grandfather had convinced me that seaweed was mermaid hair. My parents couldn't convince me for the world to get into the water and spent a lot of time at the playground with me instead.

Ocean City New Jersey (same location as above) - 2017

I want all of you to forget about what you've seen, heard, and witnessed regarding the MTV show "The Jersey Shore". First off, they're from New York, not New Jersey. Second, though I'm sure there are areas that resemble the show, I have rarely seen the actual Jersey shore look like it.

Probably because I more often than not go to the southern most tip of America's Armpit (I swear I'm not the one who came up with that, but I do think it's funny) to go to the beach. I'm hoping to change that. Driving all the way down the parkway is neither convenient or cheap, especially if I want to go with friends. There are nice beaches a lot closer to my current home that I'm hoping to go to.

However, the barrier islands along the Cape May county coast all hold a special place in my heart. Atlantic City, though, is to be avoided like the plague.

So here are a few fun facts about one of the oldest beach resort areas in the country.

1) Cape May is not only the southern most tip of New Jersey it is also the oldest beach resort community in the United States

2) The Jersey Shore was part of the inspiration for the 3 of the Walt Disney World Resort Hotels in Florida: The Boardwalk Resort, The Beach Club Resort, and The Yacht Club Resort. I've stayed at the Beach Club Resort and though I like the theme and recommend the resort, the Jersey Shore it ain't. They even have the Cape May Cafe, based off of the resort town.

3) Apparently Atlantic City has the longest boardwalk in the world. I still think Ocean City and Wildwood have better boardwalks (at least as far as my inner child is concerned), but kudos Atlantic City.

4) Speaking of Atlantic City, it is also the city the board game Monopoly takes place in. No wonder boardwalk costs so much.

5) Bruce Springsteen got his start in Asbury Park. Not only did he play in local establishments, but he also recorded his first album there.

6) Though not the true inspiration, the book Jaws references a series of shark attacks that occurred off the Jersey shore in 1916. A huge man eating shark did apparently prowl the Jersey Shore waters over a century ago, but shark attacks are fairly rare overall in the Garden State.

7) The last fatal shark attack in New Jersey was in 1926. Though there have been a few non-fatal shark attacks (the last being in 2013) and the Jersey shore is home to plenty of sharks (I've seen dogfish and small sand sharks), people and sharks rarely interact.

8) Wildwood beaches get longer and longer every year. They're not the longest beaches in the world or even in the United States, but walking out to the ocean in Wildwood is a hike unto itself.

9) The oldest still standing Light House in the United States is in Sandy Hook - which is also where New Jersey's only nude beach is located.

10) Ocean City New Jersey - not to be confused with Ocean City Maryland - is dry. If you want alcohol you gotta either island hope to Atlantic City or head to the mainland.

I hope I've given you guys some insight into the true beauty that is the Jersey Shore. I swear there's no where else on Earth like it.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me.

Until next week.

Welcome to the Many Different Cultures of the United States

So I wasn’t able to post anything last week. I was kind of in the middle of nowhere Oregon without an Internet connection to be found. It was kind of nice being so disconnected from the rest of the world while I was exploring the Pacific Northwest US. I’d never been there before and it was very different from anywhere else I’d ever been, especially in the United States.

I feel a bit silly admitting this, but I tend to forget that the United States isn’t one uniform cultural identity. When it comes down to it, each state is really it’s own country with its own culture and identity. The federal government is just a glue that holds all 50 states (plus several territories) in place on an international scale.

When I see the US portrayed on TV or in movies, it sometimes feels like the US has one umbrella culture with smaller cultures that branch out. As I’ve traveled in the US more and more, I’m finding this isn’t the case at all.

Sunset on the beach

I was born and raised in Northern Virginia. I will always love my home state and be extremely biased towards it. I love every inch of the state, from the hustle and bustle of DC, to the quiet tranquility of the Shenandoah, from the tidewater basin in Norfolk to the western mountains. Virginia is awesome!

And it’s definitely not New Jersey.

I might have experienced a little culture shock when moving from Maryland to New Jersey. Yeah, Maryland is it’s own state, but it’s not too different from Virginia and they share a lot of similarities (though Baltimore is still one of the most fun cities I have ever been to while DC is decidedly not). New Jersey is its own entity.

There are very few places that feel like the middle of nowhere in New Jersey. Everything feels like it’s on top of everything else. It’s a lot more aggressive than Virginia and there’s hardly any military presence to speak of.

Despite being an American, I have been to woefully few states in the US. I’ve been to almost every state on the eastern seaboard, but hardly any in the middle of the country (unless you count brief layovers in airports). All in all I’ve been to roughly 20 different states that I remember and actually explored. Oregon being the latest.

Oregon was laid back, big, full of nature, and adventure. For the record I wasn’t anywhere near Portland, so I can comment on the city life, but the rural areas felt remote and disconnected from the rest of the country. A lack of Internet access was both challenging and relieving (and it wasn’t because the CIA had set up a dead zone).

In the redwood forest!

I think the oddest thing I saw in Oregon was a sign demanding the return of a stolen cannon. Why the heck would someone steal a cannon? You can own a cannon? How does someone steal a cannon?

I think the only time I’ve seen a cannon is at the Colonial and Civil War re-enactment areas along the east coast.

Hawaii in particular is very different from the lower 48. I felt like I was going to a foreign country, I just didn’t need a passport to get there. I’d like to go back and experience more of Hawaiian culture and see the other islands.

The US is vast and is a mesh of many different cultures. There isn’t just one America. There are many. Parts have a high population density, while in some parts you might not see another human for hundreds of miles.

There are some areas where you need to talk fast and loud to be heard and other areas where people speak slowly, with a lot of thought behind their words. There are states where guns are a way of life and others where people might look at you funny for owning one. The military might be a big part of the economy and in others people might never see a tank going down the highway (yep I’ve seen that on 95).

The US is big and I haven’t seen or experienced nearly enough of it. Each state is unique and so are the people living there. We might present ourselves as one identity, but in reality we are many countries united despite our differences.

It's an amazing place to explore.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you like hearing from me.

Until next week.

Welcome to Long Journeys

They are worth it...

The trip from where I live in New Jersey to where my dad lives in Virginia can be taken several ways. The quickest, is probably by plane, followed by taking the train. However planes and trains are expensive and can be inflexible with their timing. That's why I drive.

Again there are several routes that I can take to get to Virginia. The most obvious is via the Turnpike. It is also the one I hate to take the most. Mainly because New Jersey is notorious for two things: traffic and tolls. The tolls between Northern New Jersey and Baltimore are some of the worst and traffic is unpredictable at best. I therefore choose to go the "long way" through Pennsylvania. It adds about an hour to the trip (if traffic is good on the Turnpike) and only costs a dollar in tolls on the way out of New Jersey. So I can get into this state for free, but I have to pay an escape fee??? Thanks New Jersey.

I've made this trip four times already. I don't want to think about what it's doing to the mileage on my car. It's a long drive and I spend my time listening to music or audio books. I also come up with new plots for my writings (this blog included). Heck I sometimes come up with new theories in philosophy and science (though nothing that realistic). It might be a long drive, but it's worth it. Seeing my sister and dad this Thanksgiving was wonderful and I'm thankful that I was able to see them. I wouldn't trade the opportunity for anything.

I am very thankful for the flexibility in my schedule to travel to see my family. Last year I traveled across the United States to visit my family in California for Thanksgiving. It was a lot of fun and I hope to go out there again at some point.

Where as this past summer I spent a very long day (and two even longer ones coming back) traveling to the upper peninsula of Michigan. If you've never been there, it's well worth the trip. It's one of the most remote places I have ever been to and Lake Superior really does look like a giant sea. I honestly don't think I could survive up there in the winter. People might go weeks without seeing another person outside of their town.

Lighthouse in the middle of no-where Michigan.

The longest trip I've ever been on though was to Osaka Japan. I flew non-stop 13 hours to Tokyo and then another hour to Osaka on a Pokemon plane (plus a half hour or so drive to Nishinomia).  It was a tough trip for an 11 year old, but so much fun. I admit that I was a little emotional the first few nights because I was so far from my home and family, but it was so worth it. The memories and experiences I have from that trip are priceless.

My roommate's family is coming this month from Brazil. It's a really long trip by plane and they are getting into New York at around 6am. They might be really tired the first few days, but my roommate is so happy and excited. They'll get to see each other after a long time apart.

It might seem like a long way away (and traffic might be a pain in the butt), but hitting the road to see family or the world is priceless. I live far away from my family now, which makes the times I do see them all the sweeter. I'm thankful to see them whenever I can.

Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post (or you hated it) please like, share, or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me. If you want to and since it's the weekend after Thanksgiving, leave a comment about what you're thankful for in the comments.

Welcome To The "What If Loop"

Or Why Being A "New" Adult Is Stressful

I like security and familiarity. It's probably why I have such a hard time getting rid of silly things like pictures or all of my books. I feel at home with them. Unfortunately this past year hasn't been the kindest to my sense of stability and familiarity.

Sure, I have a stable job and income, but I just moved several states away from all my friends and family. My roommate is great, but we've only known each other for a few months. Sure, I have my own room, but I sometimes still feel like I'm invading someone's space. It's a new experience that I don't have a reference point for. It makes me nervous and occasionally more paranoid than usual.

Then there is my questioning. Some days I worry that I'm going to wake up and find out I made this whole trip of to New Jersey up and that I don't actually work here. So far this fear hasn't become too irrational, but it's always in the back of my mind (variations of this include being fired, ending up in the emergency room for insert physical malady here, and insert horrible natural disaster here).

This leads to my "what if loop." What is a that? Basically it's how I think of my anxiety. When I'm really anxious, all I can think about it what if x, y, or z happens. Heck, sometimes I think in term of what if a, b, c or d didn't actually happen and instead I made them up (this happens a lot when I'm dating someone). 

These thought patterns used to not be that bad. They usually followed along the lines of "what if I don't pass this test" or "what if I forget my lunch at home." Sure it was hard to concentrate thinking like that and I tended to make them seem bigger than they really were, but they weren't all that life changing. Now, though, there's a lot more that can change. I don't feel that I have the same safety nets I did in college. These are the worse when I can't fall asleep or am so worked up that I can't stop talking in a loop.

Okay, yeah, everyone is a phone call/text message/ skype call/email away, but it isn't the same as seeing them in person. There are days where I wish I didn't worry all the time (then again, I sometimes wonder if I'd be happy if I didn't worry about something).

The trick is trying to stay calm and just go with what ever is happening. I have to remind myself that I can't control everything and that I need to calm down enough to make a critical decision.

How do I calm myself down? I think there's already a blog post about that (Welcome to Self Reflection should be it), but in a nut shell, Yoga, meditation and writing help out a lot. My focus doesn't even need to be on my problem while I'm doing any of those activities. I am able to let it all out and feel mentally prepared for my next step.

Which could always lead me right off a cliff if I'm not paying attention. It's a delicate balance.

Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off), please, like, share, or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me. Now to go figure out this life stuff.

Welcome To New Jersey

A Comparison To The Great State Of Maryland

An artists liberal interpretation

At this time last year I was on vacation in the state of Hawaii. I had a significant other, a job in Maryland, and my own apartment. I had no idea that (fast forward one year) I would eventually move to New Jersey and pretty much start from square one. (Okay, the job is the same, but that's about it).

First things first, both states are expensive. Though in Maryland I could afford to live on my own, New Jersey not so much. Luckily I found a nice roommate with a great apartment. This (oddly enough) lowered my rent. My insurance rates also went down (again odd as far as stereo types go). That doesn't mean I'm still not spending a lot of money. Food and other merchandize are also at a mark up.Thus say that New Jersey is the more expensive.

Point goes to Maryland.

Now as for going to the DMV, driving to work, and having the convenience of shopping centers pretty much everywhere, it depends on where in the state you are. Where I am in New Jersey there is a ton of shopping, plenty of (moderately priced) public transportation and I can walk all over the place. There are also a few DMV locations that are friendlier and faster than in Maryland.

Where I was in Maryland the public transportation was cheap (like dirt cheap, I think that's where all my taxes went to), but shopping centers weren't as frequent and I had to do a lot of driving in heavy DC-Baltimore traffic.

Oddly point goes to New Jersey.

 My commute is incredible here. There's no traffic (except for the odd school bus). I have a reverse commute that gets me to my office between 15 - 20 minutes. This is comparable to the distance I have to drive daily. Maryland, ha, no such luck. Traffic is cruel in Central Maryland. I typically just doubled the driving time anywhere out of sheer habit.

So with such a great commute, what do I have to complain about the New Jersey highway system? Well, New Jersey seems to like tolls. To the point that going anywhere out of the state equals paying a fee. Heck, most roads to the airport seem to include a fee.

I'm going to call this one a tie.

That brings our count to:

New Jersey 2
Maryland 2

Huh, that was supposed to be my tie breaker. I guess my overall opinion is that New Jersey and Maryland are pretty comparable. Or at least as far as I can tell.

But Virginia is still the best!

If you enjoyed this post, or it really pissed you off, please like, share, or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y'all love hearing from me (or at find me mildly amusing).

Welcome To Moving Part 1

Otherwise Titled: Adventures In What Not To Do

So yesterday I wasn't exactly in the best place to try and write out a blog post. The day before I was in an even worse place. I moved on Saturday from the Baltimore suburbs to Northern New Jersey, right on the border to New York State. To say the experience was traumatic would be putting it mildly. I've been nothing but a reck since Saturday morning.

My first mistake was thinking I only needed two days to pack up my apartment. This was the first among many. By Friday night (or ungodly o'clock Saturday morning) I finally crashed on my sofa. I had only packed a few boxes and the movers were due in less than eight hours. I had spent the day running around like crazy trying to return the cable boxes, put in a change of address, drop things off at Goodwill and throw out as much as I could. It wasn't nearly enough.

What I should have done is take off a whole week.

So when the movers arrived Saturday morning, what was the first thing I did? Oh yeah, I burst into tears. 

My next mistake was thinking that it would only take a few hours to pack everything up, get it all into the truck, and finish up cleaning the apartment. I thought I'd hit the road around noon and have everything off the truck by nine. 

Oh boy was I wrong.

It took nearly five hours to get everything packed and onto the truck. The cleaning took so long I finally gave up and I hope I get even just a bit back from my deposit. I cried several more times and wanted to curl up in a tiny ball and refuse to leave. The movers did let me put in Ducktales until they had to pack up the TV and DVD player.

I ended up leaving close to four.

The movers decided it would be best to come on Sunday to drop everything off. It was one of the very few good decisions I made.

I took the long way to New Jersey. You know how it is. I wanted to avoid all the tolls off of 95 and it would cost less if I accidently took the wrong exit. That was where the good decisions ended. The first leg of the journey was simple enough. I had done that trips for years on my way to visit my granddad. I ended up getting lost, not once (oh no, I'm that kind of special), but twice. Thankfully the first time I ended up on a road that paralleled the route I was actually supposed to take. The second was a mixed up exit that took me about twenty minutes out of my way. Both were very pretty and very vexing. 

I managed to get to the apartment around nine. Thankfully my new roommate was here and she was able to let me in. This leads to my next epic mistake.

I way over packed my car. 

Like to the point where I still haven't gotten nearly enough out of it. I ended up passing out on the couch. I slept for well over eight hours (maybe around nine). 

This brings us to yesterday.

I woke up and went out to breakfast. It was pretty cool that I was actually able to walk to a coffee shop instead of be really confused as to where the hell I should forage for food. On the way back I was able to pet a very cute husky. That was where the good part of the day ended.

The movers were unfortunantly two hours late. They got stuck in traffic less than twenty miles from the apartment. Don't get me wrong, these guys were amazing. I would totally recommend this moving company to anyone. Five stars all the way. 

They basically filled my room with boxes. They filled it to the point that there was hardly any room to maneuver the rest of the furniture and I had to get a little creative. 

We then went to my storage unit (because let's be real, I moved from a single bedroom apartment that was mine to an apartment share, I needed more storage). We filled it up.

Here's where we get to another mistake. I didn't exactly know where anything was. I discovered today that one of my kitchen boxes that should have been in storage is actually here. I have no idea where the other box is that has the stuff I actually need today. I'm not going to have fun digging it out if it's in storage.

Finally I had to set up my bed. Thankfully a guy I met the last time was up here (a potential roommate that didn't work out) was willing to help. He first took me out to dinner (again smart despite the fact I wanted to get started right away). 

Now getting the bed together was a challenge to end all challenges. We can thank IKEA for its wonderful bed designs. It took four hours to put together and we kept messing up. It didn't seem like we could do anything right putting it together. It did eventually get done, but parts of it are a little shaky and I don't think it will make it to my next location (where ever that might be).

My adventures in New Jersey have only just begun, but already I long for Baltimore and DC. I want to go home. Back to my own apartment with all of my things in my crazy chaotic way instead of feeling like an invader into someone else's domain. I hope I adjust soon. 

Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post, or it really pissed you off, please like, share or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys love hearing from me. Right now this blog might be the only thing keeping me sane.

Welcome To Fun Facts

Because I am a wealth of useless information...

I enjoy history, but it can be dull and dry. That's why there are fun facts. They can take the form of amusing events, strange coincidences and even the most epic of fails to deserve Darwin Awards. Fun facts can be interesting and great conversation starters. 

For example the northern most palm tree on the East coast (and possibly in general, but I'd have to fact check that) is in Williamsburge VA. They apparently don't like snow. I hope it had a scarf for this past winter.

What does this have to do with have to do with my life (I.e. Why is this a blog post). Well, I'm about to pack up my whole life and move four hours north. One of my favorite ways to get to know an area is to learn the local quirks. 

A fun fact about New Jersey is that you can't pump your own gas. This is both frustrating and costly, but at least I don't have to leave my nice warm car in the winter anymore.

Things like how or when a building was built or the reason a town is laid out the way it is all help me to get to know a place. They can be fun, spooky, and maybe even a bit scandalous. It can be worth while when showing off the new neighborhood.

Hopefully by next week spring will have actually arrived and we can spend some time outside. Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off), pleas like, share, or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me. Now go out and find some fun facts about your hometown and share them. Have a good week.