What I Love About New Jersey!

By Christine Lavosky

In 1966, when my mother was two years old, she and her family moved to New Jersey from Cuba in search of opportunity, hope, and a new life, but most of all, they came out of faith. Without ever coming to New Jersey before, they trusted that it would be the best place for them to start anew. So they got their papers in order and made plans to come to New Jersey and finally got there. Of course, like any other place it started out rough with my grandmother sewing buttons in a factory-- a dollar for every three buttons, but eventually she made enough money to go to college where she worked hard and earned her bachelors and masters degrees from Montclair State. And since the day she was old enough, my mother has been exploring and trying to find out as much about New Jersey as she can, and of course she’s been taking my sister and I on her explorations.

One of my favorite things about New Jersey is that it is the place where I have started my acting career: The Acting Theater Conservatory in Clifton, where the first ever Hip Hop Nutcracker was staged. I was incredibly lucky to be a part of it. ACT is also where I I took my first professional theater classes, which included acting, singing and dance . They were very challenging at first and as a rather large sign reminded me every time I went there, it took a lot of commitment. Before ATC I was kind of what my teachers called a “cruiser” someone who doesn’t really study but still manages to get above average grades. But my teachers at acting class would not take any of my cruising shenanigans, you were either a diehard actor/dancer/singer or you were nothing. Since theater was and still is what I wanted to do with myself, I decided to work hard and practice and really just go for it. And I’m really glad I did, because afterward I felt truly proud of myself.

I, Christine Lavosky, am proud to live in Montclair NJ. I just love all it’s restaurants and little shops (I am a shopaholic after all, but a girl can only spend so many hours at the mall) that only small towns have. It’s so peaceful to wake up to quiet sunshine, dew drops falling from the flowers and birds singing the opening notes of the early morning symphony in the distance instead of the honking cars and hustle and bustle of executives and office workers downing their coffee and rushing to work. One of my favorite places to be on a Saturday afternoon with one of my friends or maybe my sister are the colorful and quaint shops and eateries of Church Street. As I’m walking down Church Street, a breeze grazes my face and awakens the sound of some chimes in the door of a shop just across the street. I look to see which one it is and it’s Accents of Flowers. A store I’ve never been in before but it looks interesting with some small, dainty fountains and a wooden bench with a string of leaves carefully woven through it. When I went in, I became enveloped in a world filled with bright flowers, vividly colored jewelry that one might find in their stylish grandmother’s attic and as though all this wasn’t pleasurable enough the whole shop was engulfed by the sweet smell of chocolate truffles. The afternoon ends after a quick stop for pink lemonade at Gimme Jimmy’s before returning home to sweet dreams of a day spent on Church Street.

It’s a warm, sunny Summer afternoon, there’s no homework to be done and all chores have been taken care of so where do we go, you may ask. Well to Deer Lake of course! We have been loyal members of Deer Lake Club in Boonton for four years now and have loved every minute of it. Every step of the long hikes in the forest, every head dunked under water getting a taste of the crisp lake water, every jump off the dock, every tip of the sailboats and every bite of the barbecue. Over the years I have made many life long friends there. Deer Lake is so serene and perfect it doesn’t even seem like it’s connected to the real world. At Deer Lake nothing else really matters, it’s on its own little secluded part of the universe.

In turn, New Jersey is like a treasure chest with all my love for NJ being the key to unlocking my cherished memories of finding myself and my career at ATC, of my mother and her family’s memories of starting a new life and finding a new home, of joyful afternoons floating by and tinkling chime on Church Street and cool still water at calm, sunny Deer Lake. But there still are treasures in this chest that I haven’t unlocked yet, there are still many things that are waiting to happen: secrets to be told, dances to be danced, friends to be made, books to be read and memories to unfold. New Jersey is the home of my love, my hope and my life.

Comments

[Belstaff Clothing outlets]

I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.

[graduate school essay]

Took me time to read all the comments, but I enjoyed the article.

[Jenny Mesa]

Christine, you wrote a great essay. You definately have a gift in expressing yourself. Through your eyes I can see that Montclair is a wonderful place to live in. Hopefully I will visit it soon.

[Ester Mesa]

Chirsitne, I really like your essay. It brought back memories of when my family and I came to this great country in the 1960's and went to New Jersey. You are an amazing girl and certainly know how to express that in writing.

[Mara Zafrina]

Remarkable essay Christine! I really do hope that you win. Your essay expresses New Jersey very well and I agree, it's an awesome place to live. I also agree that Church Street is really fun to walk around and just be out in the fresh air. Good luck! And you are an awesome best friend! :)

[Kate Nash]

This was a remarkable!!!! ily!!!!!!!!!!! CHRISTINE IS THE COOLEST GIRL I KMOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Carrie Basch]

I loved this esay!! Good job Christine!!!!!!!! ily!!!!!!!!!!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

[Janet Symore]

Marvelous essay dahling. You are going to win for sure. When is your next novel coming out?

[Carl Peterson]

Great essay. Really thought- provoking!

[Peter Coronado]

Christine, I think you can be a great novelist or poet someday. I really enjoyed reading your essay. It was very insightful and descriptive. Keep on writing.

[Mary Louise Clavareza]

Christine, your essay is wonderful!!! It is well written and you describe New Jersey in such a vivid way. Keep on writing, it may be another career you might want to look into in the future. Congratulations!!!

[Crystal Iton]

Very good job Christine i really liked your essay and i even read it three times. If you dont win this thing then there is a big problem cause yours was soo good

[Harry Field]

I thought your essay was well crafted in the way that you described the things you love about Montclair. I really felt as if i was there when you began describing the Flower Store. I envisioned it perfectly thanks to your structured description of it all. I hope YOU WIN!!!!!

[Bita Diomande]

WOW, your essay is really convincing. It would make anybody want to atleast visit the places you depicted. Congratualted on a well written pusruasive essay!

[Carol Squire]

What a wonderfully written essay, It is apparent that your writing skills surpass your age. Your vivid use of description is exceptional. keep it up. :D

[lucinda landon]

Christine's essay completely captures the eclectic vibe that makes mew jersey a lovable anomoly amongst other states. I especially enjoyed her describtion of church street where i also find myself spending many afternoons. Clearly a talented writter with an impressive vocabulary and a stunning potential.

[Maggie Lincoln]

Dude! This is awesome! I completely encapsulates the vibe of the Jerzz! Rad job homie!!!

[Red Morgan Bonney]

This is a wonderful Essay, I believe your mother should be very proud of her highly literate daughter.

[Sugar Sunny-Tower]

this is an amazing essay! Good job Christine!

[Robin Baytas]

Great essay Christine! I loved everything you said about montclair and new jersey and you have a family that is fascinating. Amazing!!!

[Noah Westreich]

Not to mention that you probably didn't use thesaurus.com once!

[Noah Westreich]

Christine, you have demonstrated an astounding, exceptional, extraordinary, fantastic, marvelous, miraculous, outstanding, preternatural, prodigious, rare, remarkable, sensational, singular, substantial, uncommon, unique, unparalleled, unusual, and wondrous piece of writing. May you triumph.

[Sadie Hart]

this essay is amazing for such a young writer!

[Sydney Bristow]

Wonderful job! I like how you incorporated you own family experiences into the essay but at the same time made it very relatable. great job.

[Nadia Santos]

Great essay Christine! You really captured the spirit of New Jersey. Continue with your writing and aspirations