10 Things You Miss When You Leave Seattle

3. Pretending that you don’t need to request the Monday after the Capitol Hill Block Party off.

A multitude of bands coming to the hippest neighborhood in Seattle for one weekend only is a reason to celebrate. It doesn’t help that all the local bars know all you have to do is stumble in with your glow sticks from the stage into their bars promoted with brightly colored signs. Linda’s will come out with block party-themed drink names that excite your already buzzed self, and Neighbors will have after-concert drink specials to “keep the party going all night long.”

4. Not having to dress up for anything.

Going downtown to Pioneer Square for a night out means you better look your best: flannel, jeans, wool socks, and shoes that don’t have holes in them. The only outfit change you might make is for a wedding, when you’ll mainly just ditch the wool socks.

5. Paying one month’s rent for a 3-day pass to Bumbershoot.

You promise all your friends that if they raise the prices “one more time” you are definitely not going. Yet you keep going. When are Hozier and Ben Harper going to be in Seattle on the same day again?

6. Kayaking Puget Sound while seals and orca whales curiously investigate you.

Being less than an hour away from the ocean and mountains has its perks. Want to go sailing? Jump on a sailboat on Lake Union and head off into the sunset. Have an urge to ski? Drive down to Crystal Mountain and ski down the mountain to your heart’s desire.

7. Laughing at the obvious out-of-towners who use umbrellas.

Tourists, and only tourists, use umbrellas when it rains. A true local has their sturdy Columbia rain jacket they’ve had for 10 years and that’ll do just fine.

8. Spending every Labor Day weekend with thousands of dirty, sweaty campers to see the Dave Matthews Band at the Gorge. Every. Single. Year.

Who cares that the setlist is the same for all three days? You have your preferred camping spot, will likely get there a few days before the first concert just to “prepare,” and have your tried-and-true games of choice you’ll play during the day while waiting for his next concert.

9. Having your favorite beer for each event.

Stopping at Pyramid Alehouse for their blonde before the Mariners games has become a tradition. Half the reason you decided to go on that bike ride on the Burke-Gilman trail was so you could stop at Redhook Brewery for their ESB. We have become brilliant at thinking of excuses to have every trip end at a brewery, and it doesn’t hurt that it seems almost every month here there’s a new one to try.

10. Being very proud of the sports teams and not being afraid to let everyone know.

Our city is very proud of all our sports, and have been way before winning the Superbowl. The Sounders’ crowds are known to be so loud with our many local chants that other teams have complained it’s too distracting. All you have to do is walk outside and see everyone wearing Seahawks jerseys/hats/everything or rocking that bright green Sounders jersey and you know it’s game day.