16 Signs You're From the Pacific Northwest

After living in the Pacific Northwest for my entire life and then traveling outside of the Pacific Northwest, it has become apparent to me that there are just some obvious signs if you're from the Pacific Northwest. So here are my sixteen signs that you're from the PNW!

1. Birks. Everywhere, Birks.
Birkenstocks are a huge sign that you may be from the Pacific Northwest. I go to school in Oregon and I can't even begin to tell you how often I see people wearing them. And whenever you go into downtown Seattle, any and every local you see is wearing Birks when the weather is halfway decent. Plus, not gonna lie, I do own a pair and want to own about fifty pairs.

2. Starbucks
Come into the PNW and you'll soon learn Starbucks is just a staple. No matter what time you go, it's almost always busy. Go to Seattle and there is literally a Starbucks on every corner! And, naturally, you'll see tons of Starbucks pictures all over Instagram, something I am guilty of as well.

3. Flannels
It's pretty cold and rainy and gross here in the PNW, and we're all about comfort and keeping warm, so naturally, everyone and their mother wears flannels. Take a stroll through Pike Place and you'll start to wonder if everyone decided to coordinate their outfits and why you didn't get the memo. The real double whammy is when you get Birkenstocks with a flannel. And even though it's so stereotypical, I totally love my flannels.

 4. Socks and Sandals!
I remember when I was little and used to think wearing socks with sandals was quite possibly the weirdest thing ever. Now, suddenly, socks and sandals is my favorite thing. Visit the PNW and you'll quickly learn that I'm not the only one rocking the socks and sandals fashion statement. Funky socks and Birks are just the best combination.

5. Rain jackets, not umbrellas
Due to all the rain, we Pacific Northwesterners have adapted to wearing rain coats pretty much all the time. Since there are so many people around and so much rain, we have also adapted to not using umbrellas. As soon as I see someone walking around with an umbrella, it's apparent that they aren't from around here. Everyone sports a rain jacket, and it's awesome.

6. Hiking
Hiking is a huge part of the PNW lifestyle. Talk to just about anyone and they will say they hike regularly and enjoy doing it. Hiking is just something you do and a part of regular life.

 
7. Exercising
The PNW is one of the healthiest areas I've ever been in. People in the PNW pride themselves on eating healthy and exercising. I can't say I see a lot of over weight people in the PNW, because I see people constantly working out and eating good food.

 8. Nature pictures
Find someone on Instagram that lives in the Pacific Northwest and you'll be able to see that most of their account is full of pictures of the green world they live in. Hiking trails, trees, sunrises and sunsets, you name it and our Instagram account probably has it. Taking pictures of nature with those cliche hashtags like, #upperleftusa and #pnw is just one of the things you probably do if you live in the PNW.

 9. Rain
Over this past summer there was hardly any rain in the PNW, and it was a long, hard summer. If you're from the PNW, you love the sun but when the rain disappears for a while, it's rough. We've all grown accustomed to rainy days and cloudy nights, and secretly, we love it.

 10. Blackberry picking
As soon as it's blackberry season, if you live in the PNW, you are probably out and about in search of berries to pick. Blackberry picking and blackberry pies are just one of the many great things we love about the PNW.

11. Camping
Over the years, camping has continued to become a huge part of living in the PNW. When Spring turns into Summer and the Fall, it is officially camping season. You're probably from the PNW if you spend most of year planning camping trips and your summers actually living them.

12. Farmers markets and locally grown food
If you're from the PNW, you're probably used to seeing a lot farmers markets and buying some of our produce from them. I know where I live, every town that surrounds the town I live in, has their own farmers markets. And one of the best places to visit in the Pacific Northwest is Pike Place Market, which, is a giant farmers market.

 13. The "beach" myth
If you're from the Pacific Northwest, then you're used to the fact that the "beaches" around you aren't the kind where you go and lie out in the sand and sunbathe. No, it's the coast, not the "beach". If you go and visit the coast, you're used to grabbing sweatshirts and long pants and leaving the bikinis and swim trunks behind.

14. Bragging rights to "The Goonies" and "Sleepless in Seattle"
Being from the PNW means you automatically get to brag that where you live is where two famous movies were filmed. It really doesn't get any cooler than that.

15. We're loud about our sports teams
There is a reason Seattle is known as the loudest city when it comes to our passion for our sports teams. If you're from the PNW, you're used to being loud and proud when it comes to your favorite sports team. Not only that, but cold doesn't bother you, and you will be at any and every game to support your team.

16. Recycling
It's just something we all do. If we go somewhere and we can't quickly find the recycling bin, we start wandering around aimlessly to find it, until we realize that the city we're in, doesn't...actually...recycle. What can we say? We love keeping our planet healthy.