1. People never forget where you are from because you make it super known . . . and have no shame whatsoever.
2. You also never fail to let it be known that you live by the #1 beach in the United States, followed by a comment about the sand feeling like flour.
3. Station 400 – enough said.
4. Valentino’s rigatoni vodka pizza – enough said.
5. Winter and spring break bring flocks of snowbirds AKA our worst enemies that wreak havoc on traffic everywhere.
6. Turtle Beach is the move during season.
Courtesy: Sarasota Magazine
Courtesy: Tropical Beach Resorts
7. You are passionate about your disgust toward the MTV Siesta Key television show.
8. Bid farewell to any of your weekend plans if it rains.
9. You miss Kroaky’s everyday #iykyk.
10. If you want to go out to eat past 9 o’clock, forget about it.
11. The majority of childhood birthday parties took place at Stardust.
12. No one really knows why our city code is SRQ but we’ll rep it like it is our job. 941 baby!
13. You get really defensive when people say that they are from Sarasota when they are really from Bradenton.
14. The UTC mall was both the best and worst thing to come to our town in years.
15. Sarasota Square Mall was the OG place to hang in middle school.
16. You take pride in the fact that Sarasota was built upon an ancient Indian burial ground that has been believed to safeguard it from hurricanes in the past.
17. You run into everyone you have ever known at any given Publix (and anywhere, for that matter).
18. The downtown rooftop parking garages comprise 90% of local teens’ Instagram photos.
19. It is completely acceptable to show up to any establishment in flip-flops and beach attire.
20. You claim to know everyone even though it really is not that small of a town.
21. You instantly feel connected to someone when you find out that they are also from Sarasota.
22. Driving over the Ringling Bridge is 30 seconds of pure bliss and euphoria.
Courtesy: Flickr
23. You willingly drive an hour to Anna Maria Island for the Donut Experiment knowing very well there is one in Siesta Key.
24. Bee Ridge Road is the tenth circle of hell.
25. Florida Studio Theatre (FST) made for the most lit field trips in elementary school.
26. Panera was the fanciest place to eat after school.
27. Saturdays are for the Downtown Farmer’s Market and all of the dogs.
28. You most likely have at least a few friends with yachts.
29. If you don’t post a sunset photo on some form of social media while you are home, you are not a true native.
Courtesy: City-Data
30. When people do not know where Sarasota is, you just say Tampa.
31. The Ringling Museum and Ca d’Zan are truly the prettiest places ever and you most definitely took your prom pictures either there or at Marina Jack.
Courtesy: The Ringling
32. No one truly understands how great Sarasota is until they have lived there. You gain a massive appreciation once you leave it and realize how lucky you are to have been raised in such a beautiful beach town.