12 Things You Only Know If You Grew Up In Glen Ellyn, IL

There’s just something about having grown up in a small town or even a big town, that only some people understand. As is the case with Glen Ellyn, IL. There are just some things you can only understand if you grew up there. Here are 12 of those things.

Middle Schoolers Invaded Downtown

Those three years at Hadley or St. Pets consisted of you going downtown on half-days with your group of friends just to buy loads of candy and Starbucks for hours on end.

The Taste of Glen Ellyn, IL/Glen Ellyn, IL Fair

Every year you looked forward to your parents taking you to spend hundreds of dollars on ride and game tickets at the fair: only to find yourself still doing the same in middle school. Riding Zero Gravity over and over and until you get sick? Worth it.

Going to School in a Castle on the Hill

The song “Castle on the Hill” by Ed Sheeran was the epitome of a Glen Ellyn kid. If you went to Glenbard West, this song became your anthem as soon as it hit the charts. The football field right along the lake, and the beauty of the school on the hill, what more could you ask for?

Hitter Football Was Your Entire Life

Even as a kid, you live, breathed, and owned Hitter football. Whether on the field or the sidelines, you rooted on the Hitters through games and championships. Nothing meant more than the whole town coming together to watch the Hitters take on another victory.

Circle Drive

Circle Drive at the beginning of each school year on the hill was the highlight of school. Even kids from other schools tried getting in. It was basically an all-school version of Perry’s for the night.

Forgetting There Are Two Schools in Town

Glenbard South who? I only know that Glen Ellyn is home to Glenbard West.

Spring Break

Glen Ellyn is a ghost town during this time each year: everyone and their mother is living it up in Florida or Mexico for the week.

GEMS/GEDS

There was no denying that your parents, especially your mom, was a GEM/GED. Each year during football season you’d even poke fun by dressing up as one. But let’s not kid, almost 80% of you will become one yourself.

LOS

Friday or Saturday nights always ended with a trip to Los, where else would you get a late-night burrito? Going during high school became such an important part of your schedule that even after leaving for college, you go back as soon as you get home.

Every High School Graduation Party is Thrown at the GOCC, The Village Links, or the Boathouse.

Graduation szn is always the best szn, but it gets kind of old when everyone books out the Glen Oak Country Club, the Village Links, or the Boathouse each weekend.

Every Parade

The Cubs won the World Series? The Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup? You and your closest 1,000 friends can all be found convened together in downtown Chicago to celebrate your teams. St. Patty’s coming up? Can’t forget to celebrate the river being dyed green!

Lollapalooza

The third week in March is the beginning of the best countdown of High School: Lollapalooza. Sitting In class sneaking your phone under your desk just to quickly punch in your credit card info as soon as tickets go on sale is the one day of each year you looked forward to. Just wait until August when everyone in Glen Ellyn, IL can be found huddled around a Light Saber in the crowds.