Growing up in landlocked Indianapolis, Indiana, I eagerly looked forward to visiting my grandparents at their beach home on Abalone Avenue on Balboa Island each summer. The beach quickly became my happy place, where I collected shells, swam in the ocean, and basked in the warmth of the sun. I painted my favorite shells and sold them during my lemonade stands to earn money to buy saltwater taffy and shells from my favorite shell shop on the Island. I have always been drawn to abalone shells and they have a funny way of appearing in my life even when I'm away from the ocean. To me, abalone shells symbolize the raw beauty of the natural world and remind me to protect what I love. The memories of my grandparents' beach home on Abalone Avenue fill me with nostalgia and hold a special place in my heart. That's why I named my business "Abalone Ave," as an ode to the beauty and symbolic significance of the abalone shell, and the treasured memories I made on Abalone Avenue.
- Whitney