Day 1

Today I started what I can only describe as a journey. This summer, I will travel over ten thousand miles, venturing from one end of the Pacific to the edges of the continental Atlantic. However, for you to be even remotely interested in my travels this summer, I must tell who I am, and where I'm going and what I will do once I get there.

Poipu Beach

My name is Avery. I am an English major, college student from the San Francisco bay area. Rabid reader. Avid foodie. I am a daughter, sister, cousin, niece, friend, tutor, and now, a blogger. Since I'm linking up people that I know in reality (there is still something surreal about the relationships that form over a glossy screen on a computing device), many of you might already know these things. I was taught at home for eleven years by my mother. I will digress now, I think...

Homeschooling students usually fall into 2 categories in outsiders eyes: Religious conservatives or hippies. Once I was called something mildly derogatory that encompassed both groups: a prairie child. I personally do not find this overtly enraging, but I was, under no circumstances, a bumpkin, country or otherwise. But, I suppose, being blessed with brains has been a divine anti-comeuppance, because now I'm stereotyped as the crazy-ambitious ex-homeschool student who is a few (You can thank my older sister; we always studied at the same level. I couldn't let her beat me in annual book reading capacity, either.) So, insanely religious or forlornly intelligent, I have dabbled in stereotypes, and am hay to say that they have made me stronger, wiser, and equipped with a plethora of snappy comebacks.I am gladly a nerd, fitting the stereotype to a T. I threw out my back once because my load of books from the library was a bit too heavy.

Kevin (father) Deb (mother)

(Meanwhile, in another, less dorky place:) This summer blog is mainly for my family and friends. I want them to be apart of my adventures, even if we are separated by many miles. If you are one who is represented to me as pixels on a screen, welcome. I'm glad for the company. If there are any glitches in the system, I'll sort them out (first day, remember). 

I start in an airport, but now I'm listening to the ocean pull on the shore, the humid air unfamiliar after a long, chilly spring. I'll keep you updated on my acclimation.