On a damp winter's day, stopping at a medium sized city in England on the way to Leeds Castle, a friend and I walked into a cafe. Upon hearing our accents, the proprietor, a guy who looked to be in his mid-20's, asked where we were from.
"The U.S.," I replied. "How about you?"
"Turkey," he said, "but someday I hope to go to the U.S., to New Jersey, where my uncle lives. He owns a shop, so I can work for him." He pronounced 'New Jersey' with an awe and reverence normally reserved for 'Paris' or 'Venice'. It was probably the only time, outside of my family, that I'd come across such respect for the Garden State. It's unfairly maligned, mostly by New Yorkers, but also by anyone else for whom the train ride between the Newark airport and lower Manhattan is their only glimpse.
Until I was in my early 20's, I spent every summer vacation at my grandmother's in New Jersey. Nearly all of my mother's relatives* are still live there, so we try to visit when we can. Coming from a flat state (Illinois) our yearly trips to New Jersey were a treat: hilly landscapes, Victorian houses, the shore, NYC a half-hour train ride away, lots of family time...
Normally I'm ambivalent about cheesy t-shirts advertising geographic preferences, like "Ciao, Roma!" or "Detroit: you wouldn't last a day here", but when my younger sister stopped by wearing a "Don't hate the Garden State" t-shirt, I had to smile. Jersey can always use the extra love.
It's been several years, but I wonder if that guy from Turkey ever got to Jersey, and if so, whether or not it lived up to his expectations?
*And speaking of my mother, several scenes from this show were filmed in her hometown; there are even themed tours you can take.
