10 things that only an Ottawa local would consider normal (when they're really not)

The infamous Ottawa car

When I say "the Ottawa car", you should know exactly which one I'm talking about if you're a local. You really can't miss it anywhere you go, considering it's basically a driving disco ball.

I don't even know how old the car is at this point, but I've seen it basically my entire life, from childhood until now.

And if you don't see it driving down the street and immediately point and yell, "OMG, it's the car!" you haven't been here that long.

Seriously though, who is his mechanic?

Quebec becoming very important once you're 18

We all know the drinking age in Ontario is 19, but unlike other cities in the province, we're a 10-minute walk across the border.

So when you turn 18 in Ottawa, it's pretty much a local rite of passage to cross the bridge or take a weekend trip to Montreal to get your first drink.

It's kind of funny how that works, but hey, if you're not breaking the law, it's all good in my eyes.

Eating shawarma at basically any time of day

We all know Ottawa is the shawarma capital, and there's hardly a plaza or neighbourhood you can go through without finding a shawarma spot nearby.

Not only do we have them everywhere, but they're also socially acceptable for basically any meal.

I've had shawarma for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with no shame, and any other Ottawan would likely do the same thing.

It's the perfect handheld food!

Protests are basically part of the scenery

Protests and demonstrations are definitely a consistent part of Ottawa life — which makes sense when Parliament Hill is smack downtown, and we're the capital city.

Ottawans are definitely not afraid to show up and speak their minds, so walking around downtown and stumbling across a barricaded street with a ton of people picketing is completely normal.

I've had many days where I'll walk by and just go, "Oh, cool. Didn't know about this one," and continue with my commute.

OC Transpo keeping you humble

For anyone who lives in Ottawa, the train breaking down every winter and the bus running late are just classic OC Transpo experiences.

Though there are definitely good days, and I'll never complain about having expanded LRT access, complaining about OC Transpo in person or on social media is a true Ottawa personality trait.

At this point, you can easily tell an Ottawa local from someone who just moved here by how quickly they can launch into an OC Transpo rant... completely unprompted.

False spring tricky you every year

I feel like we all wait out the winter in hopes that we'll finally have our summer days and activities back again — and we get tricked by it every single year.

Without fail, the weather starts to warm up a little, and we get some random days when it's 15 to 20 degrees in the middle of March or April... only to get hit with a snowstorm all over again.

We should be used to it by now, but can you really fault us for having hope?

Somehow, everyone knows everyone

Ottawa is not a small city by any means. I mean, we have over a million people here! But somehow, some way, it feels like everyone knows everyone, and you're constantly running into someone you know.

I've seen former teachers in the grocery store, old coworkers when I'm out for dinner, and people I haven't seen since elementary school while running errands.

Sometimes it feels like we're all connected in a little web, which is actually really nice in some ways.

When I just want to grab some Timmie's in my sweatpants and go back home, though... I don't always want to run into a former classmate.

Taking tulip season very seriously

Tulip season is basically like a red-carpet event for Ottawa.

Once the weather is warm and tulips are blooming all over the city, it's like everyone comes to life with them.

The Tulip Festival is a must-visit, even if you've gone every year since childhood... and it's always relatively the same each time.

If you're not going to do an annual photoshoot with all the flowers and spend a couple of hours people-watching, are you really a local?

"Working for the government" is a full sentence

In some ways, I don't think Ottawa is ever beating the government-city allegations...

It seems like everyone has a government worker — or three — in their immediate circle.

I have multiple in my family; you probably have one in yours (or at least have a friend who does), and I'd guess the same goes for most Ottawa locals at this point.

And somehow, it's always just, "Yeah, I work for the government", with absolutely no further explanation.

Doing what? Who knows.

Forgetting how pretty our city is

I moved away from Ottawa at the end of last year, and I feel like I'm only soaking in how nice the city's architecture is now that I'm gone.

Of course I always thought Parliament and Château Laurier were beautiful, but I'd just walk by them like they're everyday buildings because when you live in the city... they are.

To a tourist, though, they're these gorgeous, fairytale-like buildings that so many people come to see in person.

I never really took that many pictures of them and only went inside a couple of times, but trust and believe, when I'm back in the city, I'm having a whole photoshoot with all of it.