Photo: Song About Summer /Shutterstock

28 Signs You Grew Up in Small-Town Norcal

California
by Amanda Hanson Oct 2, 2015

1. You know what it’s like to camp under the stars without a city light in sight.

2. It will always be Central Valley to you.

3. Class field trips to Mount Lassen or Mount Shasta were the best.

4. At one time or another you had to be evacuated because of a huge fire.

5. Hella for days will always be part of your lingo.

6. You considered attending Chico State after graduation, even if it meant changing your major.

7. Angelo’s pizza is your favorite local pizza place.

8. And you own something from Bog Bean.

9. You worked in the food industry or retail during high school.

10. At some point you figured out a way to sneak into the Rusty Nail or Castle Lounge.

11. You had a bike to get around and a grouping of them was how you knew where your friends were at.

12. When the streetlights turned on you knew it was time to go home.

13. You lived by and loved going to your neighborhood park.

14. At least one of your friends had a swimming pool growing up.

15. You had a birthday party at Country Bowl and still have the pin.

16. Water Works season passes was your favorite way to stay cool during the summer, and you always looked forward to new rides coming out.

17. Friday nights were spent at football games cheering for either Shasta or Enterprise. Go Wolves!

18. You have waited outside Hinkle’s market trying to get someone to buy you alcohol so you could drink at Caldwell Park.

19. You always knew someone with weed and looked forward to 4:20.

20. Sea World or San Francisco were your favorite family vacations.

21. April meant Cool April Nights and grilling hot dogs while watching the classic cars parade. And if you were lucky enough you got to ride in one waving like royalty.

22. You have lived through a 5+ earthquake, possibly the one on Thanksgiving in 96’.

23. You have spent a night sleeping on a houseboat on Shasta Lake but Whiskeytown is your favorite.

24. You know the struggle of telling people you’re from Northern California, and get excited when they have heard of Redding before.

25. You believe in the State of Jefferson.

26. You have done the miracle mile hike and thought you were going to die.

27. You may have gotten your license at 16 but you don’t know how to parallel park.

28. You know the joys of bottling your own water on a mountainside.

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