The Nerd Through the Years

I realized that the basis for my blog title has not been fully explained. Anyone who knows me knows I am a nerd girl. Heck, I went to a college that sells pocket protectors emblazoned with "Nerd Pride." My nerdiness exhibited itself over the years not only in my academic pursuits, but in fashion and lifestyle choices. Allow me to list some attributes of my nerdiness:

• Glasses (contacts now)
• Braces (throughout junior high)
• Acne (still battling that one)
• Collection of toys (Ducks instead of Star Wars figurines)
• Out of shape/Bad at sports
• White
• Engineering major
• Bookworm
• Have had a website since 1996
• Know some programming languages
• Have a blog (obviously)
• Don't dress very well (please somebody get me on What Not To Wear!)
• Awkward in certain social situations

According to a "How Nerdy are You" quiz I found online:
18% scored higher (more nerdy), 1% scored the same, and 81% scored lower (less nerdy).
What does this mean? Your nerdiness is: High-Level Nerd. You are definitely MIT material, apply now!!!

Well, that seems a little redundant at this point. I guess it means I made the right choice after all! So, without further ado, I present to you a pictorial history of a true nerd's evolution.

~ Halloween at age 2 (1981) ~


~ I started off as a pretty cute kid (1981) ~


~ Why are we dressed like Pilgrims? ~


~ I sure did love my CPK. In fact, in this picture my head kinda resembles the doll's ~


~ Bliss ~


~ So not sexy. Love the uneven socks (1986?)


~ Why do I have a mullet? At least the lederhosen I can explain. (me on the right, maybe 1988?) ~


~ I sure did love earning badges (me in the middle, 1988?) ~


~ Book in hand, of course ~


~ Still playing with dolls ~


~ This one is classic. The mullet returns, add in crimping and tie it up in a side-tail with a pink satin scrunchie to complete the style. Toss on some friendship bracelets and coordinating scrunch socks and I'm ready to go. Clearly the writers of Napoleon Dynamite must have known me back then:



~ Family reunion. That's awfully frizzy hair! (I'm in the striped shirt in the front row, 1989 or 1990?) ~


~ Trapeezing. Those are pretty sweet hand gestures ~


~ My giant red glasses, sported throughout junior high and some pretty awesome elastic waistband pants and matching top (1993) ~


~ This was my "My So Called Life" phase. Note the slightly less hideous, albeit still atrocious, glasses along with the fact that I had no idea how to use a blowdrier. Throw on a cheesetastic smile and the nerd is in full effect. Poor Gramps didn't sign up for that! (1995) ~


~ I think I look like Becca Thacher in Life Goes On here. ~


~ The family that picks out outfits together stays together. Check out the clunky shoes on me! ~


~ Vintage shop t-shirt and these fugly Converse sandles I loved (1997) ~


~ Oversized sweatshirt (1997) ~


~ At this point I was a big fan of the plaid short sleeve button down. I had one in every color combination imaginable. (1998) ~


~ Again with the sweatshirt, an MIT one even! But at least the glasses are gone. (2003) ~

So there you have it folks, the nerd through the years!