Kirsten Chen

This year, even more than most, we are grateful for a Jersey Summer.

Sure, The Hangover and Britney Spears make it seem like a not-so great decision, but is it really so bad to get hitched on impulse while intoxicated and chock-full of illegal substances?

Because if you didn’t fall madly in love with your middle school/high school/college crush to this song or buy a black studded belt and immediately proclaim yourself as “emo” upon first listen, then you are either a dirty, filthy liar, a sociopath with no regard to human emotion, or too young/old for this song to be relevant. That’s it, hands down, no exceptions.

Some days, there’s just no better way to put it: work sucks and we can’t wait for the weekend.

The most popular frustration triggers consist of a multi-pronged attack of petty annoyances in a short time-frame, your overbearing mother taking one too many jabs at your emotional psyche on the wrong day or your weird, craigslist roommate simply being present, yet again. Like, don’t they have anywhere else to be?

You will realize that you are, indeed, growing up and you aren’t quite sure how you feel about it. You’re still not the “grown-up” you envisioned all adults were as a kid.

We graduate from high school with eyes wide open for the future. Then, we graduate from college, teary-eyed and scared sh-tless of that same future. We move from our childhood homes and childhood cities. We move back and then away and then back again.

Whether you’re a cross-country drive or a trans-atlantic flight from home, that first moment when you pause where you are, take a deep breath and open your eyes to an unknown land, a shiny new light is shed on your entire soul.

You know the deal, friends. Everyone’s rode the tour de Franzia. Everyone’s slapped the bag! This limitless wine is the life of the party. She’s probably in college and it’s likely that your roommate, or entire frat, knows her very well.

If everyone in the world got down with their bad self just once a week, we would have no wars. Fact.

I happen to actually be from the “Jersey Shore,” and as you already can tell, I am a total sweetheart and absolutely worth getting to know (HA, get in line). In all seriousness though, I have a valid argument, because in New Jersey everything is an argument, to make about the “Jersey Shore.”

Don’t be fooled, though, this cheese cleans up nicely and is known for showing up at your door suited up (think, string cheese).

We arose early at dawn. There was an unusual bite in the air for a May morning, and as I drew in my first few breaths of crisp air, I knew today’s expedition was to be a great one. Today, we were to go to The Maury Show!

My parents prove that in order to be a lover, you have to be a fighter. Real life doesn’t always come in the size and color we order it in, and you can’t exactly send it back to manufacturing to be fixed or return it for a new one. Real love is the same way.