Now six months into this passion blog, I am, admittedly, running out of ideas on what to discuss about the great state of New Jersey. I feel like I have discussed most of the key selling points of my home state. So, for this third to last edition, I am going to discuss something meaningful to me that happens to be in New Jersey. That is the sleep away camp I have been going to since I was 9 years old. 

For a lot of people, I think the perception of New Jersey boils down to the shore and the many suburban communities throughout the state. For the past 9 years (minus a few thanks to covid), I have had the joy of seeing a different side of the state. Nestled in the woods of Stokes State Forest in Sussex County, just 2 and 15 miles from the Pennsylvania and New York borders respectively, is 108 acres of land where I have spent many a summer day and night. Without needing to leave the borders of New Jersey, I have had the opportunity to slow down for a little bit, and step back from the busy hustle and bustle of everyday life. Even as a young kid, I always found this meaningful.

A very young me. Image Source:Author

At first, my 9 year old self thought maybe camp wouldn’t be for me. Like a lot of kids, I was homesick, and not a big fan of a lot of the activities we did. My memory is admittedly blurry, but I think by the end of my first week being at camp I began to come around to it. Either way, I went back the next summer, and have kept going back every year since. I have always been happier at camp, and I think camp brings out the best in me.

Another aspect of going to camp that has become increasingly important to me is the fact that when he became old enough, my younger brother started coming with me. We have had a strained relationship at times, and as I got older I spent less and less time with him. But at camp, we always get along great. Now that we live in different states, I am especially looking forward to spending time with him this upcoming summer.

Me and my brother last summer. Not deemed Christmas card worthy by Mom. Image Source: Author

Over time, my relationship with camp has shifted. No longer a camper, I spent last summer as a volunteer counselor. Seeing more of the behind the scenes side was definitely a culture shock, but one I quickly grew to enjoy. Seeing the joy I felt as a camper be felt by the current campers made me quite happy.

This summer, I will be a full counselor for the first time, which means I will be spending 8 straight weeks in the woods. I could not be more excited. While I may not be making much money, or staying in the nicest accommodations, I know I will be having a lot of fun. As the Camp Director wrote during covid, “camp magic” is very much real.

In an earlier blog post last semester, I discussed how driving is the primary mode of transportation in New Jersey. While that is true, the state does have a large public transportation infrastructure. This rail and bus service is known as NJTransit. Despite having many flaws, I think NJTransit is actually a very useful service for New Jersey residents. However, I do say this as someone who uses NJTransit rather infrequently. Regular commuters may have differing opinions.

According to their own website, NJTransit services 5,325 square miles, and operates 2,221 busses, 1,231 trains, and 93 light rail vehicles. This large network provides more than 270 million passenger rides per year. It is the nation’s third largest rail network, although much of the railroad track it operates on is owned by Amtrak.

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While it does provide such a large network of transportation services, the agency is far from perfect. In 2020, their trains ranked last in the nation with the most breakdowns and mechanical failures. However, the services busses and light rail did rank much higher. In recent years, much light has been shed on the use of incredibly outdated trains, with many being older than the riders that depend on them. Some were built over 40 years ago and are still depended on for regular use. They break down about once every 40,000 miles, while newer trains can go up to 350,000 miles without breakdowns. There have also been issues with lack of funding for NJTransit, but in recent years Governor Phil Murphy has worked to secure more money for the railroad.

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Culturally, NJTransit plays a large role in many commuter suburbs. A large appeal to my hometown is the train station that takes riders directly to New York City. In elementary school, whenever the topic of what our parents did for work would come up, we would all chime in with what train our parents took each morning. I know that weekend train rides into the city were common for many from my hometown while growing up, myself included. Some of my core childhood memories include taking the train into the city to see the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, or going with my mom to see my dad at his office.

NJTransit is also key for sports fans in the region, as it transports Giants and Jets fans to the Meadowlands and MetLife Stadium, and takes baseball fans into New York Penn where they can then take the Subway to see the Mets and Yankees at Citi Field or Yankee Stadium. It also takes hockey fans into Newark to see the Devils play. The atmosphere of riding a train on the way to a sporting event is hard to describe, but is a really cool feeling, knowing that most everyone on the train, no matter how different, has the commonality of rooting for the same sporting team.

Overall, while it does have many issues, a ride on NJTransit into New York is one of my favorite things to do, and I look forward to the next time I go home and can make the trip.