FAQ of a Homeschooler: Did You Ever Leave the House?

I can't tell you how many times I've been asked "So, did you ever, like, go outside? You know, liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiike, leave the house?". The short answer is yes.

But for some reason, they never seem to believe me when I tell them that. Maybe it's because they don't know what we do besides study flashcards all day. So, I have prepared a summary of the activities I did while I was Homeschooled. Keep in mind that I was Homeschooled from Pre-School until my High School Graduation.

1. I trained with a Piano teacher for ten years (Thank you Tammy!).
2. I trained with the Columbia Dance Academy for nine years (Thank you Ms. Jean! I still find myself spotting when I spin!).
3. I was on a Swim Team for one year, but in that one year I took either first or second in every race I was in.  
4. I did Bible Quizzing for about five years, and will be going back this year. I might do a separate post to explain what that is later...In that time, I qualified for Regional and National competitions every year that I participated.
5. I was involved with a girls Bible study called Far Above Rubies for at least ten years, and went from student, to Group Leader as fast as they would let me.
6. I attended clogging classes (Thank you Jaime!) for two years, but found it wasn't my forte.
7. I played community soccer for two years, and was never very good but boy did I try hard!
8. I read an average of 7-10 new books a week for several years, until I literally couldn't find any more age-appropriate books at our local library to read, so Mom started taking us down to Jefferson City for their library (and Central Dairy!).
9. We have taken several vacations over the years, but one of the most significant to me was a trip we took with two other families (who we are very close to) to Chicago, where we rented an almost-mansion, and went to the Trade Center, the Science Museum, The Lego Store, the American Girl Store, and the beaches. It's one of my favorite memories.
10. Yes, I hunt. And for the record, I love it! Being able to sit in a deer stand for hours on end in complete silence is freaking heaven.
11. I've taken multiple Dual Credit Courses, including Intro to Business and Speech 101.
12. I've taken the ACT multiple times, with varying levels of success.
13. I recently attended a Disney Face Character Audition with my Mom and Aunt in Chicago (didn't get a role, they weren't looking for my height).
14. Our family has gone Parasailing (which I would recommend, even if you're scared of heights, it's incredible!).
15. I've taken Tae Kwon Do lessons, they lasted a little over a year, and over that span of time I had gotten some significant belts for that time period (I loved it!).
16. I've been hired and fired.
17. I've been hired again.
18. My cooking is enough that if someone ate it, they would live...probably...
19. I've discovered that Marketing is a recently uncovered passion of mine, thanks to incredible teachers at Stephens College.
20. I've been friends with two women who have an unnerving amount of dirt on me, and are incredibly smart and funny.
21. I took horseback riding lessons for a year.
22. I went swimming with sharks.

Well, I know that I've forgotten some things, but I hope that this post has helped you realize that Homeschoolers don't just sit at home listening to Mozart all day, and work on math problems for fun. We are kids, parents and families who enjoy having new experiences as often as possible, and we love the opportunities Homeschooling has provided for us.