Growing up in a big city is surreal; you're surrounded by millions of people, always busy, always hustling. The world is your oyster, and everything is within your reach. But, everything is also pricey as hell.
Still, instead of moving away to somewhere more quiet and sane, you'd rather shell out every last penny you have to keep your dirty, old, claustrophobia-inducing apartment in the city.
For a bonafide city kid, there are some things in life without which you can't bear to live. Here are some examples:
You can swear in at least two languages
I mean, c'mon, you know for sure what "puta" means, and you have likely uttered it hundreds of times.
You've lived in culturally-diverse neighborhoods most of your life, and your circle of friends is basically one big serving of chop suey. Every time city kids go out, it's like a freaking UN delegation.
You have eaten just about every type of cuisine
Chinese, Japanese, Moroccan, French, fusion and that Indian resto that a Korean family runs. They're all just around the corner. And, on top of it, they all deliver! Of course, you also know which ones are good and which ones are overpriced.
You're a terrible driver
You have little patience, too (but you’ll only admit to this fact when hell freezes over). Despite being exposed to overpopulated areas and bad traffic every day, you still hope that one day, the streets will clear like the Red Sea and you will cruise through freely.
Don't hold your breath.
The subway is part of your everyday life
Well, it's right there, and it takes you to almost every part of the city. Without that option, you'd have to bus, cab or drive (and get stuck in traffic for three hours).
You abhor camping
... Or any activity that takes you away from WiFi and regular plumbing. The silence of being out in the wild is deafening! When you're out of your element, you can't wait to you get back to the comfort of your noisy, air-polluted city you warmly call "home."
Rush-hour power-walking in heels is an art
Though you repeatedly debate the age-old question of comfort or style, you wouldn't be caught dead wearing Uggs in public. You practically have no choice beyond braving the rush-hour crowd, teetering in your sky-high Manolos.
You have grown accustomed to the everyday stink and sight of garbage
To any overpopulated area, the abundance of trash is a given. To make matters worse, the city seems like it does absolutely nothing to clean it up, so no matter where you go, filth is everywhere, and you have come to live with it.
You never run out of hook-up options
There are 20 single guys in your apartment building alone, 200 within the 5-mile radius, and you can hook up with any and all of them anytime, anywhere. After all, the city is one big 7-Eleven.
You've mastered "maximizing" any small space
... Such as your room, which could pass for a broom closet. But, you're not as poor and deprived as Harry Potter (at least, I hope you're not). As big as the city is, it is still running low on room to accommodate those who want to inhabit it.
Extra room means higher rent, so you've managed to make it work by making your kitchen, living room, bedroom and study area one and the same.
Bottomline, you have a different definition of "normal"
People singing karaoke at 2 am on Tuesday; firetrucks whizzing by every hour; omnipresent chattering everywhere you look; your entire apartment building reeking of pot. What can I say? There's no place like home.
Photo Courtesy: We Heart It
