Every Jersey kid and New Yorker knows, you can’t escape those state stereotypes, no matter how littl

Everyone has his or her own personal identity, but what about the perceived identity that you can't avoid? No matter how unique you think you might be, it is hard to stray away from stereotypes about where you're from. Whether it's the country you were born in, the city you live in—or more likely than not—the state you're from, there are some stereotypes you can't get rid of even if you try.

For example, think about the stereotypes associated with New Jersey: The Jersey Shore, dirty Jerz and guidos. People who aren't from New Jersey might automatically associate the state with some short, tan girl named Snooki who likes to eat pickles. To be honest, sometimes I do open my window on the Jersey turnpike and immediately close it after smelling what might be 20-year-old garbage; however, I've also been to some beautiful beaches in Jersey that are way cleaner then what MTV presents. Unfortunately, though, The Jersey Shore is part of the state's identity.

To talk about another Jersey stereotype: Bruce Springsteen. The Boss recently released his tour dates, and tickets sold out almost immediately. Most New Jersey residents I know, feeling a strong connection to Bruce, felt obligated to buy tickets. Sure, I enjoy blasting "Rosalita" on occasion, but I wasn't on the edge of my seat, waiting for the exact second to click "purchase tickets."

If it were Billy Joel, on the other hand, I'd be much more enthusiastic about buying tickets. After all, I'm a Long Islander in a perpetual "New York State of Mind."

Maybe not all New Yorkers are Billy Joel fans, but most New Yorkers I know, including myself, fulfill this stereotype. Billy Joel is part of my personal identity, and he is part of New York's identity.

Yet, there are also stereotypes associated with Long Island that I don't represent. When I was visiting Ireland during my semester abroad, the nice Irish cab driver who drove me to the airport started a conversation. Once I revealed I was from Long Island, New York, even he was surprised by my accent.

In his polite Irish brogue he said, "Oh, you don't have that annoying ‘nah nah nah' loud voice!" I couldn't help but laugh and take it as a compliment.

What about other states, like Massachusetts or Pennsylvania? Almost every person I meet from Massachusetts and Pennsylvania lives "right outside of Boston" or "right outside of Philly." How close is right outside, I wonder?

Massachusetts's residents are associated with "paaaking the caaar," vacationing in Cape Cod, reenacting witchcraft and occasionally tolerating New Yorkers if they are Mets fans. (Yay, I qualify!) Pennsylvanians are associated with country music, barn parties, the Phillies and "Oh, is that where Pittsburgh is?"

If you tell someone you're from Connecticut, people might assume that you are preppy and went to a private pre-school. If you tell someone you're from Rhode Island people might laugh at you and say, "Is that even a state?"

Are these state identities sometimes unavoidable? Yes. We are all individuals, but there are some parts of our identity that we can't shake off. Next time you meet someone from California, don't tell me you didn't think in your head, "ohh, surfer bro!"