20 Signs You’re From San Diego

From dreading the summer traffic to the less-than-eventful nightlife, here are 20 signs you’re from San Diego!

1. You dread June to July traffic on the 5 because the Del Mar fair makes going anywhere take way longer than it should.

You say you hate the Del Mar Fair (and maybe you do) but the cotton candy, fried food, and Ferris Wheel with the panoramic views of the beach make all the traffic a little worth it. A little.

2. When you were in middle school, the big deal was to get dropped off at the mall with some money and some friends and walk around for hours aimlessly.

Whether UTC, The Forum, or Fashion Valley, you rarely ever bought anything except maybe a Lush lip scrub but spent hours wandering the outdoor malls and probably worked up the nerve to walk into Victoria’s Secret to see if you finally went from a 30AA to a 32A.

3. You take the weather for granted.

Usually 70 degrees and sunny with a little wind, the weather is usually perfect and you rarely acknowledge that.

4. Torrey Pines: been there, hiked that.

Finding parking along the beach is half the workout. But, the view from the top where you can see all along the San Diego coastline never gets old.

5. CPK: you either hate it or love it.

Big fan or extreme hater: your call, but you definitely have an opinion.

6. Traffic on the 5.

You’re all too familiar with making plans around the traffic patterns of the 5. Going north anytime from 3-7? Psssshh.

7. Ice skating at the Hotel Del in Coronado.

The festive way of pretending you are experiencing winter: ice skating yards away from the ocean.

8. You go to farmer’s markets.

Little Italy, Rancho Santa Fe, Hillcrest, Carlsbad, Poway, Encinitas. Whether for the fake candid pictures or the fresh local food, you’ve frequented any of these markets on the weekends.

9. SeaWorld.

A controversy in itself. It’s close, but you probably don’t go that much, especially after watching Blackfish.

10. People assume you live at the beach.

When you introduce yourself and say where you’re from, people immediately think you are a professional surfer who never wears closed-toe shoes or steps foot off the sand.

11. Bonfires.

La Jolla Shores or Moonlight, or wherever else, bonfires were a big part of your childhood. And trying to manipulate some member of the group to camp out and save the pit all day was always a part of the plan.

12. Nightlife?

You know there isn’t much to do once the sun sets. Sure, there are house parties, and you can see a movie or go clubbing with a fake ID but the nights in San Diego could never compare to the days.

13. Your plans are made around meals.

“Okay, so let’s get brunch at Claire’s on Cedros, then drive to La Jolla Cove, then get acai at Brick and Bell and then see a movie and then dinner at CPK?”

14. Acai may or may not make up half of your diet.

Sambazon, Better Buzz, Cornerhouse, Brick and Bell, etc. So many fruit bowls, so little time.

15. When you come back from a trip, you bring back cravings.

Walking off the tarmac and straight to the nearest In N Out or Rubio’s.

16. You’ve attended a concert at Sleeptrain Amphitheater.

The infamous GA grass field.

17. You’ve taken at least 3 field trips to the USS Midway.

How many times can one see the barber shop where the sailors got their haircuts? The limit does not exist.

18. Rain and the roads.

When it rains here (approx. less than 50 days a year), everyone acts like it is the apocalypse and drives 40 mph on the highway.

19. The sports.

A sore spot for San Diegans. You probably go to a Padres game once a season for the hot dogs and Dippin’ Dots, but obviously not for the Padres. Don’t mention the Chargers moving.