Across the World Tour: Angela Cerrito--Adventure of a Lifetime

What Is All This?

To celebrate the launch of Across the Universe on 1-11-11, we're going Across the World with guest posts of adventures from all over the world! This is all a part of the Across the World Tour. First, read the world adventure below. Then, click through to the adventurer's blog to find a letter.

Why a letter? Because the letters--when unscrambled--form a password. And the password opens up the secret page (LOOK for it above). And on the secret page is lots of goodies--secret information about the origins of the book, hidden Easter eggs, and...a entry form to win a prize of a signed ARC of Across the Universe, star swag, and MORE.

Today's Adventurer


Angela Cerrito is the author of THE END OF THE LINE, coming out from Holiday House in 2011. She is also the creator of Serious Subjects. Her prose is lyrically beautiful, and I am fascinated with her life and all the places she's lived. I can honestly say, I wasn't sure which of her greatest adventures she'd write about, she's had so many.

Angela's story was one of the first I received--but as soon as I read it, I asked if she'd mind if I posted her story last. It's the perfect end to the two week adventure YOU all have been with me on, and I think you'll agree when you read...

Angela's Adventure of a Lifetime

When Beth asked me to write about an adventure, I immediately thought of living in China and Europe, of driving across the US with my husband (and our infant daughter), and many other adventures. So many, I realized that my greatest adventure began my sophomore year of college, when I was a Resident Advisor (RA).

It’s peaceful at a university the week before classes start. I had just finished hanging up name signs on the empty doors wondering about the freshmen girls who would move in, when I got the news. It was a good year for the university, more freshmen than ever before. There were so many students that the guest wing would be opened up on my floor and filled with freshmen of the male variety. Yes, males. Guys. Dudes. I had the good fortune to be the RA of the first ever co-ed dorm floor at the university.

I made more name tags and wondered about the guys who would move in.

Pacific University, Forest Grove, OR

And that’s when my adventure began. My love was one of those 20 guys. We married before we graduated college and the adventure continued.

Our first home was a job that provided living accommodations. We managed a boarding house for mentally ill men. We stayed there at night in case of emergency, waking early to prepare a 5 course breakfast (and distribute meds, cigarettes, and rationed money) for more than a dozen men before heading off to classes and second jobs.

Other homes –and adventures -have included:

Hot-lanta (Atlanta, GA): This is where both of our beautiful home-birthed babies were born and life-long friendships were made. Atlanta is the city we consider our home when we’re in the US.

China: We spent a year in China learning language, cooking, and how to ride bikes in unbelievable traffic. We also made some great friends, got behind-the-scenes access to temples and the great wall and my love studied under the national pushing-hands competition winner and an 88-year-old tai-chi master.

Great Wall of China with oldest daughter, 11 months

The Italian countryside: From here I was able to take my grandfather to Sicily 80 years after he left –and we reconnected family ties that were almost severed by distance and time. We learned to drive automobiles in unbelievable traffic, more wonderful friendships were formed, and our daughters learned to speak Italian.

The adventure continues: We now live in Germany where we appreciate the orderly traffic, the many fests throughout the year and the opportunities to travel in Europe.

Yet, real life, the real adventure, is every day. Walking to the ice-cream shop on the corner, watching our kids advance a belt in martial arts, or perform their music on stage and struggling for words when a beloved pet dies. This amazing adventure is living through good and bad times and sharing them together.

Neptune's Grotto, Sardinia 2010

Sometimes my love will look up at me and say, “I can’t believe I married my RA.”

And sometimes I can’t believe it either!

Go Across the Blogosphere!

The adventure's not over yet! Go to Angela's site to find the first letter in the password to the secret page. Collect all the letters in the first two weeks of November for a chance to win a signed ARC, star-swag, and pin-buttons!