the garden state

after having spent a weekend there, i've decided, i've made my peace with new jersey. i really used to hate it--after having lived there for 10 years, i didn't have a kind word to say. now, though, i realize it's not so bad. more importantly, i realize that it's close to what i want. rather than process the place through the lens of my elementary and middle school point of view, i was able to see the place for what it is. a nice community that can exist independent of too-close, levitt-town developments. a place that's retained some of its trees, rather than trade them in for blacktop. i could even have a farm house there, or a decent-sized plot of land for my kids to run in (it is, after all, the garden state). the only thing i don't like is the south jersey/philly accent. this comes with my realization that i have increasingly low tolerance for all things that i find unaesthetic (perhaps why i study French?), including words prounced as "wuter", "yuse guys", "how yese doin".

or maybe, my sentimentalism is just because it was a nice weekend with a blue sky. doesn't happen too often in grey-toned new jersey. but, i'll take what i can get, and call my arm-wrestling match with the "armpit of america" as a draw.