I have lived in many different places thus far in my life, but moving to Northern California last year has been an amazing experience for my family. The Bay Area has such a rich combination of scenic beauty, cultural diversity, and career opportunity like nothing I have ever seen.
I’ve also noticed several things from a mom’s perspective that make this area very, let’s just say, “unique”. That’s why today I’m revealing 10 signs that you are a mom living in the Bay Area.
1) You have layers of kids’ clothing strewn everywhere; your car, stuffed under your stroller, in your diaper bag, and of course all over the living room. The microclimate phenomenon is a real thing, and it’s imperative that you have layers accessible at all times! All of the above also applies to umbrellas.
2) You have a healthy obsession with playgrounds, as in, finding the newest, coolest and safest ones around. In the same vein, you have developed unrealistically high standards for said playgrounds. What, there’s no musical instruments, carousel, fenced-in play structure, or a view of the Golden Gate Bridge? Hmm, that’s only a 2 out of 10 in my book. Also, since when did I start using the words “play structure”?
3) Your high school babysitter charges more per hour than you earned at your first “real” job, drives a nicer car than you, and has an enviable collection of handbags.
4) You have actually Googled “how to make an earthquake and/or flood survival kit”.
5) You now realize how essential vests and rain boots are to any person’s wardrobe. Preferably matching ones. Upside: you can let your kids go wild in puddles without worrying about the mess!
6) You’re pretty convinced that the entire housing market is managed with Monopoly money. At least, that’s what you tell yourself every month when your mortgage or rent check gets processed…
7) You plan your kids’ summer camps in December and you started interviewing for preschools when you were in your first trimester.
8) Off the top of your head, you can think of at least 20 people you know who work in tech. And you are pretty sure that the show, “Silicon Valley” was written about you or your friend or your neighbor’s actual real life. Also, your toddlers are already way faster on the tablet than you will ever be.
9) You have accepted the fact that your compost bin is three times the size of your trash can, and have stopped writing letters to the city asking permission to please compost your dirty diapers.
10) Your last-minute getaways blow everyone else’s away. Why, we just went skiing in Tahoe last weekend! And the week before, I went to Napa for lunch for my birthday! My husband and I snuck away for a wine tasting and were back in time to pick up the kids from daycare! And going to the beach as a family is, like, NBD. (But don’t post those pics on FB any time soon unless you want your frozen East Coast friends to throw you some internet shade).
Please share any other “unique” experiences you have had as a Bay Area mom!
