Not everyone can say they grew up in the greatest city in the country, but you can. Growing up in San Francisco gives you a childhood like no other. Here are 16 signs you grew up in San Francisco:
1. The fog is a normal, almost daily, occurrence for you
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But by noon the fog will burn off, exposing the, ever elusive sun
Good thing you were wearing layers.
2. You knew EXACTLY where to find the best burritos.
No, it was not here.
It was going to come from a place like this and cost half the price.
Who wouldn't want to save their wallet and eat a burrito the size of a chihuahua?
3. In-N-Out is one of the best places to get a burger
Double Double? Animal Style? Protein Style? 4 x 4? Gluten Free? Whatever your choice, you knew it would be fresh and the taste would be unimaginable.
4. You know the truth about the beach
People have probably asked you if you went to the beach all the time because you're from California.
What most people think:
What you know:
The truth is: yes, there are beaches to go to, but on days that it is warm enough to go to the beach, everyone and their mother flocks to the beach making it miserable to even find a spot. Then if you manage to get a good spot, there's the issue of water temperature. You know even putting a toe in the water will send you into hypothermic shock.
5. There's no baseball team better than your San Francisco Giants
You know what torture it is to be a fan at some games, but nothing can replace the elation you feel watching your team win the World Series.
6. You know that these are two of the biggest parades of the year
You knew it was best to either partake in the festivities or to stay home completely that weekend, there was no in-between when it came to navigating crowds and finding parking.
7. You've taken at least one prom photo here
And it was probably the cheesiest.
8. The thought of touching Lake Merced or Mountain Lake turns your stomach
Maybe it's their respective green waters? Or the bodies that have been recovered through the years? The alligator found in one in 1996? Perhaps it's their unique nauseating odors caused by previous decades of pollution? What is known is that you would sooner learn to fly than let yourself fall into their depths, where you might catch a rare disease.
9. You spent a good portion of your childhood here:
You're also probably old enough to remember when these were the best things around.
It was an exhilarating feeling to put one of these keys in the audio box in front of the exhibit and hear about the animal inside.
10. You've suffered through Bart or Muni
Not only are the seats of questionable sanitation, or the other riders of questionable soundness, but it takes 10 years to catch a ride.
Does it say on the timetable or your fancy app that the bus or your train will be here at 8:45? You better find somewhere to sit, because it's going to be awhile.
11. You've had the real San Francisco treat
There are ice cream sandwiches and then there's It's- It. There's no possible way to describe the taste of two oatmeal cookies, with varying flavors of ice cream between them, covered in a chocolate coating, except heavenly.
12. You're not easily shocked
San Francisco's mixing pot occasionally means that as a child you are exposed to a wide array of people and situations. Some of those, to name a few, might be people in chaps, naked bodies weaving between people at parades, used needles scattered on the ground, outhouses without doors, wigs, etc.
So by the time you're ten, you can confidently assume you've seen everything that would make adults from elsewhere blush or squirm.
13. Earthquakes under a 5.0 do not phase you
How most people react to an Earthquake:
How you react to earthquakes:
You've been through enough earthquakes to know that unless things start falling, it isn't worth moving.
14. You're a master at parallel parking
The city built on hills is not a walk in the park to parallel park on.
You didn't want to have to park at a 90-degree angle, but you had to learn out of necessity because not only do you live on a series of hills, there's also never a spot big enough to pull into comfortably.
Everyone else:
You:
If you can parallel park in San Francisco, you can do it anywhere.
15. You've left home, only to be disappointed
You probably have found yourself homesick for the sound of traffic or the smell of ocean air.
Or the residents that stray from the straight and normal and bring the city its rebellious spirit.
Eventually you'll become bored with your new surroundings and save up to return home.
Because after all...
