I was born and raised in Winchester--one of the many small, just-outside-of-Boston towns in MA. It’s beautiful and cozy, and while it may not be the greatest place to find fun things to do at night, there’s a certain charm in its peaceful quiet. For me, Winchester will always be home.

1. 01890 is not simply a zip code

No, our zip code is a rowdy chant that goes like: 0...0...0-1-8-9-0!

2. Going downtown on half days in middle school was the “cool” thing to do

Nick and Lizzie's was the hotspot. You could buy penny candy, town merch, jewelry, and more.

3. You've entered the Town Day duck race at least once

4. You’ve hiked in the Fells

And you’ve probably been on a science class field trip there.

5. The Woburn-Winchester Thanksgiving football game was a big deal

6. You've been to Enka Fair

Aside from going on thrilling rides like “Fly Surf” and “The Zipper,” you’d probably run into every classmate you ever had, along with their parents who were found manning tents and rides.

7. You’ve considered buying a bike to avoid the chaos of parking at the high school (especially when the gravel lot was a thing)

Okay, maybe you didn’t actually consider buying a bike, but you have to admit, parking was a huge hassle.

8. The D'agastino's line was always miles long

After practices or games, getting a huge sub at D'agastino's hit the spot--you just had wait for a while. Maybe you'd sit outside under the big tree or around the fountain while you ate.

9. You were on one of the many soccer teams at some point in your childhood

Dirty knees, orange slices, and grass stains were to be expected.

10. You've felt incredibly lucky at how beautiful downtown is

Especially Town Hall by the water and the lit center when it’s nighttime.

11. Mr. WHS was a BLAST

It had everyone in the audience in stitches. A night to remember for sure.

12. Mold in the high school was unfortunately not uncommon

At least it gave you some unanticipated study halls. Current high schoolers don't have to worry about that.

13. You were eager to find out what team you’d end up on in middle school

(Champions, Olympians, and Silver were the best--no bias here ;))

14. Singing valentines were the greatest at McCall because it meant a day of interrupted classes and seeing your costumed classmates sing and dance about love.

15. You made sure to go to the Flats for king-sized candy bars on Halloween

16. Once old enough in high school, you piled into a friend’s car during lunch and drove to Dunkins, Bill & Bobs, Bruegger's, or to get pizza at Joe's.

17. You'll always be a Sachem

18. You wish there really was a pool on that mysterious fourth floor of the high school ;)