After spending nearly eight months away from the home I have lived in since the day I was born, I have come to gain a newfound appreciation for the place where I grew up. While the North Shore may not be a big name on the map like Boston, there's plenty to love for this beautiful coastal region of Massachusetts. Here are 18 signs that you are lucky enough to have grown up on the North Shore of Boston:
1. You have gone to the Topsfield fair every year since birth.
2. The Roller Palace was your favorite elementary school hangout (RIP).
3. When you were young, Memorial Day weekends were dominated by the Danvers Invitational Tournament.
4. To you, the Fourth of July is kind of a big deal. You grew up watching fireworks in Danvers or Salem.
5. The majority of your school field trips had to do with the Salem Witch Trials or the history of Boston.
6. You grew up going to Boy Scout Park in Boxford or Patton Park in Hamilton.
7. You spent your early teenage years roaming aimlessly around the North Shore Mall (even though you probably had no money of your own to spend).
8. Ice cream at Richardson's followed by a round of mini golf is your go-to summer activity.
9. Apple picking at Brooksby Farm or Russell Orchards is your go-to autumn activity.
10. You avoid driving through Salem in October at all costs.
11. You think Bagel World is a gift from the gods (and consequently you will shamelessly wait in a 30-minute line on Saturday morning to get your fix).
12. You know Crane Castle has the best views around...
13. ...and the Rose Garden at Lynch Park is a close second.
14. You can't imagine not living by the beach. Good Harbor, Wingaersheek, Long Beach, Crane Beach — you've been blessed with the best.
15. You know a day spent in downtown Newburyport is a day well-spent.
16. Three words: Nick's Roast Beef
17. When people ask you where you are from, your go-to response is "just outside of Boston."
18. You feel blessed to have grown up on the North Shore and are proud of where you came from.
