You rarely visited San Francisco.
Growing up in the Bay Area means you are closer to places like San Francisco, Santa Cruz, and other great places. Though you may have lived less than an hour from these places, the amount you actually visited them vary about one to two times a year. Unless you actually live in, or near, San Francisco, making the actual drive there, attempting to find parking, and trying not to spend more than $100 during that trip makes it difficult to visit more than a few times a year.
You grew up going to AT&T Park, Candlestick, and HP Pavilion.
Being a Bay Area native also comes with the fact that you are a diehard Giants, 49ers, Sharks, and Warriors fan. You grew up taking CalTrains to AT&T Park and watching the Giants game; you tailgated in front of Candlestick stadium before the game; and you attended so many sharks games at the HP Pavilion (which you refuse to call the SAP Center) that you’ve lost count. And, along with the countless amount of games you’ve attended, you own a endless number of T-shirts and jerseys for all the teams that you wear at least on a weekly basis. Growing up in the Bay Area comes with the fact that you are a Bay Area team fan and you would never want to be anything else.
Nobody likes the drive to Santa Cruz.
Similar to San Francisco, though Santa Cruz may seem close, the actual drive to get there is tedious and makes it difficult to go more than a few times a year. Let’s be honest, nobody likes driving highway 17 because it’s long, windy, and there’s always traffic. And every kid growing up in the Bay Area can remember the first time they drove on that freeway by themselves, and it was by far the scariest thing they’ve ever done. However, once you actually get to Santa Cruz, you wonder why you aren't there every weekend -- and then you begin the drive home and wonder why you went there at all.
You’re crazy if you drive highway 101 during rush hour traffic.
One of the few awful things about the Bay Area is the traffic. It may not be comparable to places like L.A., but everyone knows that it is one of the most annoying things about the Bay Area. And with this, everyone knows which highways to avoid when it hits five p.m.. This being highway 101. One of the most heavily packed highways in the Bay Area, you are crazy if you think you're getting anywhere in less than an hour once the meters turn on. Unless you're willing to brave the crazy that is that freeway, you're better off just taking side streets.
Everyone has climbed Mission Peak at least once -- and then regretted it.
One of the nice things about the Bay Area is how you can be in the suburbs one minute then come across a new hiking trail another minute. And one of these great trails is Mission Peak. I think every person I know has conquered this mountain at least once in their lives, if not for the hike then purely for the amazing view and photo op. Yet, everyone can admit to the fact that hiking it once is more than enough. The vertical aspect of the trail paired with how long it takes to get to the top, and the lack of shade, can make this trail extremely dangerous and, for most people, a one time thing.
Shoreline is like a second home for you.
One of the best things about summer in the Bay Area is the endless amount of concerts. One of the best venues to attend has to be Shoreline Amphitheater. Every kid growing up in the Bay Area can remember their first concert here. There's nothing better than sitting on the grass waiting for the concert to start and smelling that concert air that makes you feel like summer has officially started.
We’ve all thought about stealing one of the Google bikes.
One of the coolest things about growing up in the Bay Area is the tech bubble that we live in. Something that we take for granted until we leave it for a significant amount of time. Growing up near the Google, Apple, Microsoft, and other tech headquarters is something most of us take for granted. We just assume it is totally normal to look over while driving and see a self-driving Google car next to you. One thing we can all relate to, however, is how badly we all wanted to steal one of the Google bikes for a day. I mean how could you not? It's so colorful and cute you just want to ride all over downtown Mountain View and Palo Alto on it!
We could never imagine living anywhere else.
Overall, the Bay Area is one of the coolest places to live. Not only is it the the tech hub of California and most of the U.S., but the benefits of growing up and living here are endless. Though some of us may leave for college or other reasons, we all know that we will always come back, eventually, because it is our home.
