You still listen to the Super Bowl Shuffle and routinely chant, “Daaaaa Bears Da Bears Da Bears Da Bears!”
You outreach your arm, tongue wagging in the air for pictures, and break out your number 23 jersey to attend Bulls games (or to go anywhere in the city).
Lake Shore Drive (LSD for short) is one of the prettiest inner-city drives in the country. Traffic can be a nightmare, but it doesn’t bother you because you have front row seats to the number one thing that makes your city so great: Lake Michigan.
After Tom Skilling issued the warning for impending sub-zero temperatures, you’ve left the house wearing a minimum of 3 layers including a snowsuit, mittens, and face mask.
All Chicagoans know that their hotdogs are to only be comprised of the following: An all-beef dog on a poppy seed bun topped with tomato slices, white onions, relish, a pickle spear, sports peppers, celery salt, and mustard. It’s a cardinal sin to even consider reaching for the ketchup. Chances are you tried to once, but a hardcore Chicagoan slapped your hand away from the bottle.
Although Brookfield is more “fancy,” you prefer Lincoln Park Zoo to the hoity-toity suburbanite zoo any day. You appreciate that Lincoln Park Zoo is right near the lake in the city, and best of all, it’s free!
You’ve never had a problem getting where you need to go in Chicago because you’ve always relied on the El. Every local knows that the “El” stands for Chicago Transit Authority’s elevated rail system, but that’s too much of a mouthful. “I’m gonna take da El down to Chinatown for some of dat der Dim Sum.”
Nothing stands between the crowd of a million plus people and your love for a barbecued turkey leg. The Taste of Chicago has always been and always will be a staple of your summer festival schedule.
You remember going up to The Dells before it was the waterpark capital of the world. You probably stayed at Old Newport in a modest little cabin and rented a boat to explore the upper and lower Dells’ rock formation beauty. And you’ve most definitely ridden the Wisconsin Ducks.
You absolutely refuse to call Willis Tower by its new name and still refer to it as Sears Tower.
You eagerly look forward to Svengoolie and his top hat-makeup-wearing shenanigans on television. His low-budget hosted horror movie program is chock-full of corny jokes, commentary, and trivia. You can’t get enough of his ghoulish getup any time of year, and you just can’t pass up another viewing of The Brides of Dracula.
As soon as the weather turns nice, you’re planning a getaway to your cottage for a weekend of grilling out, boating, wave running, and bonfires.
Tacos, tamales, corn, chicharrones, Mexican cokes, frozen chocolate-covered bananas: the treats found from a Mexican pushcart are endless. Usually while relaxing on Oak Street Beach you hear the familiar sound of bells jingling. Like a Pavlovian dog, you immediately begin to salivate, dig for your wallet, and chase down the pushcart for some Mexican treats.
Construction is nearly constant in the spring and summer months. With pothole damage caused from long, hard winters, road construction easily sets back your commute 30 minutes to an hour every day. 