Okay, to start, we don’t really use the word “So Cal” but it got your attention! Two born and raised Californians and a Hawaian transplant broke down what it means to be a part of that Southern California lifestyle.
1. In-N-Out is a staple of life.
We’re all about that Double Double with Animal fries! There’s nothing that tastes as good as In-N-Out at midnight. Even though you know that there will be a long line every time you go, that doesn’t stop you from memorizing the Secret Menu and getting your burger Extra Toast style.
2. We all hate it but we have to do it: drive
It’s true; Californians rely so heavily on their cars. It’s not like we enjoy the roads being packed all the time but in all the major Southern California cities like Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego, public transportation is totally not a thing. We need to be able to drive in order to conquer the sprawl! Which leads to our next point…
3. You know your freeways better than you know math.
If you know why taking the 5 is never a good option or why the 405 is always backed up, you’re a true Southern Californian. Who needs Waze when you’ve memorized everything from the 210 to the 91?
4. It’s always beach weather!
No matter the time of the year, you can always find someone hanging out at the beach. Heck, you might even be that person that gets that ocean craving every single day! The second the sun starts to regularly show its face (aka from March to November), all the beaches from Malibu to Oceanside are packed with people! And even when it gets cold, it’s not surprising to find people cuddled with blankets in the sand watching the sunset or setting up a bonfire on the shore!
5. You’re down for some good juice any time of the day.
Whether you’re getting Pressed Juice in Pasadena or Lemon Drop in Anaheim, you can’t say no to your kale/ginger/cucumber/pineapple drink of choice! Yeah, it looks strange to drink something bright green or orange but it tastes so. good. Plus it’s healthy! Yay for health!
6. We talk like “valley girls.”
Southern Californians can blame Clueless for this one, but you can’t say it’s not true! Our vocabulary is full of “like” and “ohmygod” and “can you not even.” Thankfully it’s usually coated in sarcasm, though I am guilty of filling gaps of my sentences with the word “like…”
7. It’s almost mandatory to go to Coachella at least once.
Even though it may seem overrated, trust when I (and a bunch of your other friends) say it is worth it! Yes, it’s unaffordable and you have to trek out to the desert just for this music festival, but Coachella just screams Southern California! The outfits and the weather are always eccentric and the Californian bands that perform are always supportive of their home state! Bonus: come to the Los Angeles during the weekend of the festival and the city seems so much quieter due to the mass amount of people that leave to hear live music.
8. Food trucks can be found at every corner.
I wish I knew the reason behind the boom of the food truck, but no one is complaining! All types of food have found their home in a truck, from Mexican food to organic goodness. Even our campus is behind the trend, with having a food truck section right near the library! Maybe it’s because Southern California is so hooked on driving already, food on wheels was simply the next step.
9. We don’t call it “Cali” and we don’t say “hella”
Don’t listen to what the media tells you. No genuine Californian would be caught calling our great state “Cali” unless they are trying to fit it into an Instagram hashtag. And no one from Southern California would every describe something with the phrase “hella!” That’s definitely a Northern Californian import.
10. We don’t know how to appreciate our water.
The entire state of California is struggling to cope with an insane drought, but Southern California is taking the worst hit. Not that you’d ever know due to the fact that we steal our water from a million other sources like Northern California, Arizona and beyond. You’d assume that we’d start to cut down but we’re like the stepmom in the Cinderella Story: we want to keep our grass green and we don’t understand the problem until we lose something in return. Oh, Southern Californians…