Everyone's hometown has its little quirks; the crazy locals, the high school rivalries, the vernacular that just doesn't make sense to anyone else. But growing up in a tourist town is a different beast. Between the tourists, crowds and overpriced everything, there are a few truths us #BeachKids know to be true:
1. You're the only teenager you know who can't wait for summer to be over.
As lovely as easy beach access, sunny days and no school sound, there is nothing that compares to the sweet bliss that is the end of the tourist hellscape that lasts from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Seriously. Nothing.
2. You've found those 'local only' spots that have somehow stayed hidden from the mass influx of vacationers.
A crowded boardwalk full of families on tandem bikes and out-of-towners who have no idea where they parked the rental car? No thank you. I have no problem taking the extra 10 minutes to drive to the quiet, secluded part of the beach, thank you very much!
3. The struggle that is parking.
The true sign of a seasoned tourist town veteran is when you know those conveniently hidden (bonus points if it's free) parking spaces. The biggest offenders of arm and a leg parking? Parking garages. A little piece of advice from someone who grew up in a beach town: avoid them at all costs.
4. You or someone you know has worked as a lifeguard.
And believe me, this ain't Baywatch. It's 10 hour shifts in the blistering sun dealing with rowdy teenagers and inconsiderate children. Oh and did I mention the sunburn? Oh, dear God, the sunburn.
5. By now, you've accepted the fact that there is an explicable amount of sand in your shoes and it's never coming out.
I once came home and found sand in the heels I wore to my junior prom. I can't make this stuff up. There's sand in every pair of shoes I own, in my car, in my shower, in my hair; sand is like nature's glitter, it's literally everywhere.
6. You're genuinely dumbfounded at the amount of people who willingly vacation to your hometown.
Maybe it's because you've lived there for so long, maybe it's because you're dying to get out, or maybe it's because your hometown is actually a crappy place for tourists. Whatever the reason, you cannot believe that so many people and their families chose your town to visit for fun. And on purpose too? Sounds fake but okay.
7. You shudder at the words "beach week"
For those of you blissfully unaware of what the 'B' word means, I envy you. What is beach week you ask? It's a 72 hour period of sin brought on by college students who are in town looking for a good time. It would seem that we have different interpretations of what a good time is. They trash our beaches, drunkenly parade the streets of the oceanfront and for some reason, are always looking to fight each other. Traffic is a nightmare, it's quite literally unsafe to be out and about at night and just overall an awful time for the locals. I did watch a drunk girl fall into a pond once. It made beach week a bit more bearable.
8. Nobody understands you when you say that you're tired of going to the beach.
"How could you possibly be tired of the beach?? If I lived there that's all I would do!" Yes, I know. That's all we did too growing up, that's why we could use a change in scenery. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE being a few miles from the ocean, it's awesome! But when the default weekend activity is going to the beach, it gets a bit old after a while.
9. But after all is said and done, it wasn't a bad place to call home.
Sure, it wasn't as glamorous as people think. And yea it definitely had it's trashier moments, but home is home. It's not where you wanna spend the rest of your life, but it's not a bad place to start it either.
