Once the transition from spring to summer gets into full swing, you can find all the year-rounders sighing as the slowly notice the influx of people heading their way. You can sense the traffic from your bed as soon as Memorial Day arrives. Living in a town that everyone rushes to at the end of school or for a small get-a-way can be unbelieving frustrating to those who are just trying to go through their daily tasks in their hometown.
1. First of all, tourists.
They may make your town more economically more stable, but they are the people we can't stand the most. What makes them think a fanny pack, socks and sandals are a good look?
2. It takes 20 minutes to go a mile down the road.
There is nothing worse than having to wake up extra early, so you can get to work in a timely manner, but yet you still end up late. You can always try the back-roads, but you and every other resident is having the same idea. And the more experienced tourists have figure out those holy shortcuts...how dare they.
3. You use your horn three-times more than any of the other months combined.
From the months June-August your horn is your new BFF. Its used at least 10 times a day because no one knows where they're going or driving too slow for your liking. All those out of town people need to learn how to use a gas pedal and a blinker, it's like road rules don't apply to them.
4. You are constantly asked for directions.
Tourists think we are the experts of our town and know how to get to every single place in town from the exact spot we are standing in and and most of the time you can't think of the most accurate route. And when the ask for names of streets that's when you know it's time to leave.
5. People think you live a life of luxury because you live here year round.
"Wow, you must go to the beach every day and live in a huge house by the water right? Do you walk around barefoot all the time? Do you meet a bunch of cool people?" Tourists come up with the most absurd and ridiculous assumptions about what it's really like to live there and most of the time they couldn't be more wrong.
6. There's packs of people crowding your favorite restaurants.
There's no point in even attempting to get a table at the place you go to every Friday night. The wait time at every restaurant in town will be at least 45 minutes long so you might as well learn to cook a gourmet meal or starve before getting a table.
7. Prices go through the roof.
All the travelers here for the week may have the money to keep up with the rising prices but us residents are being sucked dry. Literally, everything goes, from ice cream to gas to gift, they all double...or at least that how my wallet feels.
8. Parking is impossible to find.
If you plan on going anywhere that requires a parking spot, then you might as well give up. There's no where to park for free and if there is, you better be ready to fight for a spot. You'll end up walking a half a mile away just to avoid a a parking ticket.
9. You get bored of the "attractions" very quickly.
All the entertainment, or lack there of, gets boring after the first month of summer. You've lived here your whole and have done all of those things at least five times. You've been to all the water parks, fairs, beaches, climbed all the mountains and been to every store in closes proximity. Every day is a constant struggle when trying to find something "fun" to do.
10. You don't trust any seafood except your hometown's.
When you live by the water all you know is seafood. You become accustomed to a certain taste and wont settle for anything less than fresh, and that means right off the boat. The thought of getting seafood from anywhere else seems crazy.
11. We are prone to sunburns just like everyone else.
Not sure why, but everyone thinks that we all have perfectly tanned skin. Unfortunately, genetics is what it is and doesn't bless all of us residents with bronze skin. Yes I'm pale. Yes, I live here year round, and yes, I need the same amount of sunscreen as the rest of you tourists. I have my aloe on standby, do you?
13. The off season is a ghost town.
Only the true locals know what it's like once all the tourists head back to where they belong. The population drops at least 50,000 and you get an eerie feeling walking down the deserted streets that once were bombarded with people. We just got used to having our town invaded and just like that, everyone disappears and we have our town back...for nine months until the cycle repeats again next year.
