1. When Buying New Clothes You Judge Everything By How Waterproof It Is
Between the constant light rain and the amount of outdoor activities, you know how foolish it is to be caught without at least one fold-up rain poncho in your waterproof backpack.
2. You Have Nightmares About Californians With Summer Homes
Southern Oregon is awesome, but sometimes you wish Californians hadn’t caught wind of that fact. In the meantime, you’re just hoping the migration season ends soon.
3. There Are Entire Months Where You Don’t See The Sun And It Doesn’t Freak You Out
Though Southern Oregon rarely experiences heavy rainfall, you’ve heard “overcast” on the morning weather report too many times to count. Good thing vitamin D capsules exist.
4. There’s More Weed In Your Grandma’s House Than On An Entire College Campus
Hey, if you had arthritis you’d take advantage of Oregon’s medical marijuana laws too. Plus, she’s been experimenting with her cookie recipe lately, and it’s gotten even better.
5. You Forget How To Fill Up Your Gas Tank
Thanks to Oregon laws prohibiting self-service, you’ve probably sat in your car at a gas station and stared blankly at the dashboard waiting for an attendant who never came at least once on an out of state road trip.
6. You Can Point To Any Mountain Or Volcano In The Distance And Name It
If it’s a volcano, you can also tell someone the last recorded activity or eruption, and whether or not it’s dormant.
7. When Someone Asks How You Are It’s Rude To Respond With “Fine”
There’s no such thing as small talk in southern Oregon. The shortest conversation you’ve had in the last week was thirty-minutes long, and that was just with Steve, the barista on a morning coffee run.
8. It’s Not Snobby To Make Fun Of Heineken
Oregon has the reputation of being the original beer snob state. But with local microbreweries like Standing Stone Brewing nearby, it’s not snobbery when you call big commercial beers gross—it’s just a fact.
9. When You Think About Common Household Pets, Chickens Make The List
You even thought about getting a few. That was, before you realized how funky your neighbor’s yard smelled on a hot summer day.
10. You Freak Out While Shopping On Out Of State Vacations Because Things Cost More Than The Price Tag
It hasn’t done much for your math skills, but not having a sales tax is one of the most awesome things ever.
11. You Know Who Grew Everything On Your Plate
The plus side of Southern Oregon’s cloudy climate are the fertile farm lands. Southern Oregon is full of localvores who love to take advantage of the fruits (literally) of nearby farmers’ labor at farmers markets.
12. You’re Shocked When Drivers Act Like The Street Was Built For Cars
To be fair, the Bear Creek Greenway is a road that was built exclusively for cyclists. Sometimes it’s hard to remember there are vehicles with more than two wheels on the other roads.
13. At Least One Of Your Friends Has A Solid Plan To Survive The Apocalypse
Southern Oregon has it’s fair share of survivalists and libertarians, which means at least one of your friends is totally Ron Swanson. You just hope they’ll share their stockpiled pickled foods if the end does come.
14. There’s No Point In Going To Portland When Ashland Is Right There
Southern Oregon University draws in hipsters and hippies, young and old, making Ashland the Southern Oregon mecca of all things weird. Why take the long drive when you can get all the great food, art, and, and boutique shopping nearby?
15. Frozen Fish? Is That A Thing?
With the Rogue River full of salmon right outside your back door, it’s hard to imagine how anyone could settle for fish caught whole days ago.
How can you tell someone’s lived in Southern Oregon too long? Tell us in the comments below! 
