"You actually live here?! That's so cool!"
I can't tell you how many times I hear that every summer. Living in a tourist town is fun, but it gets old pretty fast. No one ever thinks about the locals and what it's like to experience Myrtle Beach every day, not just one week a year. Here are just a few things that locals experience all year.
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There's never anything to do. The attractions shut down when it's not tourist season and when it is tourist season there are so many reasons not to go. I've been to every attraction on the Grand Strand more times than I can count. I promise the tiny aquarium isn't fun after the first two times, especially when it still costs an arm and a leg for a local to go.
Driving is almost impossible. I will never understand why people drive ten miles under the speed limit just to blankly stare at all of the department stores, beach stores, and fast food restaurants we have down Highway 17; if you want to look at something pretty, park the car and walk down the beach. Also, you can't turn left when you're in the far right lane. I'm not exactly sure how people forget how to drive when they go on vacation, but it's a common occurrence.
I hate to break it to you, but it does actually get cold at the beach. You can't happily sit on the beach in December (unlike what most people think) and don't even think about getting into the ocean until mid-June. I don't know about you, but I will not be sitting on the beach in the middle of January when it's barely 50 degrees and the wind is blowing like crazy. It might be sunny and 75 during spring break, but that doesn't mean it's not sunny, windy, and feeling ten degrees less than 75.
The economy depends on tourists. That sounds like a good thing, but when it's mid-February and no one is in town it's not a good thing. You can't find jobs as easy in the off season as you can during tourist season. Even if you have a job during the off season, your hours are based on how busy the business is; since there aren't any tourists to wonder into the business, there aren't any hours on your time sheet which means no money in your pocket.
Even though there are so many things that get under locals skin, all of those annoyances get taken away once you step foot on the beach. It's incredible to have the ocean in my backyard. Nothing compares to having sand between your toes, the sun on your skin, and the sound of the waves crashing on the sand.
To answer your question, yes I actually live here and I guess it is kind of cool. Although there are a few things that irk my nerves, I absolutely love where I live and couldn't imagine moving away.
