I present to you—
You know you’re from the Pacific Northwest when…
Your children learned to walk in Birkenstocks.
You throw an aluminum can in the trash and feel guilty.
You complain about Californians as you sell your house to one for twice as much as you originally paid.
You only honk your horn if collision is imminent and never for anything else.
You consider something a "hill" (not a mountain) if it doesn't have snow on it or has not recently erupted, regardless of its altitude.
You consider "etiquette" a foreign word.
Most of your friends are from California.
You find a wallet with $500 and give it back to the owner.
You used to live somewhere else but won't admit it publicly.
You've ever ordered a half caff/decaf, nonfat mocha grande with sugar-free cranberry whip (or you know what it is).
You know a bride & groom that registered at REI.
If someone ran your car off the highway, you might drown.
You'd be miffed if the store was out of your favorite brand of water.
Every day is casual Friday.
Hear the word "ferry" and think of boats and long waits.
Know at least eight people who work for Intel or Nike, or used to work for Tektronix. (I know 12)
You think skiing always means being covered from head to toe, in snow or water.
Know that Boring is a town and not just a state of mind.
Have actually used your mountain bike on a mountain.
You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit under a raincoat. (My costumes were)
You return from a California vacation depressed because "all the grass was dead."
Remember the date, severity, time of day, where you were, and how long you were out of power and phone service for every winter weather event in the last five years.
Have ever called your insurance agent to ask if your homeowner’s policy covers falling trees, flooding, or mud slides
You never go camping without waterproof matches, ponchos, and mattress pads that double as flotation devices.
You believe swimming is not a sport but a survival skill to prevent boating deaths.
You own more than 10 articles of clothing that have the names of microbreweries/brewpubs printed on them. (I only have like 3)
You think downtown is "scary" because you were panhandled there, once. (Panhandlers are not scary).
You replace your hiking boots with Birkenstock or Teva sandals when the weather gets above 60 degrees.
You believe people who use umbrellas are wimps or Californians, or both.
Use the statement “sun break” and know what it means.
You know more than 10 ways to order coffee.
You know more people who own boats than air conditioners.
You stand on a deserted corner in the rain waiting for the “Walk” signal. (I totally do this!)
You know the difference between Chinook, Coho, and Sockeye Salmon.
You know how to pronounce Sequim, Puyallup, Issaquah, Oregon, Yakima, and Willamette. Also…Snohomish, Skykomish, Swinomish, Squamish, Squaxim, and Skookumchuck.
In winter, you go to work in the dark and come home in the dark - while only working eight-hour days.
You are not fazed by “Today’s forecast: showers followed by rain,” and “Tomorrow’s forecast: rain followed by showers.”
You can point to at least two volcanoes, even if you cannot see through the cloud cover.
You notice “the mountain is out” when it is a pretty day and you can actually see it.
You buy new sunglasses every year, because you cannot find the old ones after such a long time.
You measure distance in hours.
You know all the important seasons: Almost Winter, Winter, Still Raining (Spring), Road Construction (Summer), Deer & Elk Season (Fall)
You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends from Oregon.
Hm. I guess I pretty much bolded the whole damn thing! :)
