1

Swann, Cullon & Black

Swann, Cullon, and Black are all in my family and related.

2

Ancestor Names

12 of my ancestor full names line up exactly with Twilight characters.

3

Edward Mason

In my family the name is Edward Mason (in the series it's Edward Masen). In both, his mother is Elizabeth and his sister is Alice.

4

Rachel Black

In my family Rachel Black might also be a twin.

5

Jacob Black

In my family, Jacob's mother is named Sarah.

6

Quil

Both in my family and in the series, Quil is married to Molly.

7

Native American

In my ancestry, the Black family were said to be Cherokee. Genealogists have given public talks about this in the Southeast.

8

Tanner

Tanner is another surname in my family. Edythe Tanner's daughter married Edward Swann, connecting the Tanner and Swann lines. Stephenie Meyer also wrote The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner.

9

Isabella

My family has an Isabella Black.

10

Hale & Smythe

In my maternal grandfather's family tree, the Swann, Black, and Cullon families are connected. The Tanner and Swann families are connected. The Hale and Smythe families are also in the same tree.

11

First Names

My family matches 29 first names in the books and movies, including unusual names like Caius, Nettie, Laurent, and Eleazar.

12

Edward

In my family there is an Edward Swann.

13

Edythe

In Stephenie Meyer's gender-swap retelling, Edward's name becomes Edythe Cullen. My ancestor Edythe Tanner's daughter married Edward Swann.

14

Age

Bella and I both moved at 17, in the middle of Junior Year.

15

Locations

Bella moved from Phoenix, Arizona to Washington State. I moved from Carson City, Nevada to Oak Harbor, Washington in November 1990. Both are moves from the desert Southwest to Washington State.

16

Law Enforcement

My grandfather was a Carson City sheriff. My first step-father was Winnemucca Police Chief from 1994–2000.

17

Headband

The black headband was a signature part of my everyday look in high school. It is also Bella's signature look throughout the Twilight films.

18

Catholic

Stephenie Meyer is Mormon and director Catherine Hardwicke is Presbyterian, both of whom speak openly about their faith. Bella, a non-religious character, wears a St. Jude bracelet. St. Jude is a Catholic saint not recognized in either tradition. I was baptized Catholic, and St. Jude is my grandmother's patron saint.

19

University of Alaska Southeast

University of Alaska Southeast is the college Bella plans to attend in the series. I attended a class there in 2001.

20

Charlie

My father's appearance closely matches the actor cast as Charlie.

21

Renee

Young Renee resembles my mother in the 1970s.

22

Forks House

The movie house exterior closely matches my parents' Oak Harbor house architecture.

23

Arizona House

The movie's Arizona house closely matches my father's Carson City, Nevada house.

24

Volvo

I drove a 2005 Volvo S40 T5 and Edward drove a 2005 S60R.

25

Porsche

My father owned a white 911 and a bright yellow 914. Alice drives a bright yellow 911, the same model as his white one and the same color as his yellow one.

26

Jacob's Motorcycle & Neighbor Bob

In the series, Bella's neighbor who gives her the motorcycles is named Bob. My step-father's motorcycle echoes the silhouette of Jacob's, and his name is also Bob.

27

Bella's Truck

My father's truck was visually similar to her truck in the movies.

28

Marie

Older photos of my mother resemble Marie, and my mother's middle name is Marie.

29

Spider Monkey

In the film, Edward carries Bella on his back through the forest, calling her his spider monkey. I have a photo of my sister carrying me on her back at the Hoh Rainforest in 1995.

30

Bridge

There is no bridge to Forks in reality. The movie added Bridge of the Gods (which resembles Deception Pass Bridge on Whidbey).

31

Indian Beach

Filming happened on Indian Beach, Oregon. Whidbey Island has an Indian Point. Both are crescent shaped.

32

Bella Italia

In the series, Bella and Edward dine at a restaurant called Bella Italia. The El Dorado casino in Reno had a mushroom ravioli dish that had been winning culinary awards since the 1980s. The chef later opened a restaurant called Bella Italia.

33

Alaska

In the series there is a Denali Coven of vampires in Alaska. My family was established throughout Southeast Alaska from Ketchikan to Juneau. My great-uncle died there and has a road named after him, Earl Hines Lane.

34

Marrowstone Island

Stephenie Meyer bought a summer home on Marrowstone Island, which sits directly adjacent to Whidbey Island where I grew up.

35

Monte Carlo

The Forks High prom scene uses Monte Carlo as its theme. Monte Carlo is famous as a European casino, but there was also a Monte Carlo casino in Reno, Nevada.

36

Port Angeles

My sheriff grandfather and grandmother moved to Port Angeles from Carson City in 1991, one year after my own move from Nevada to Washington.

37

Hoh Rainforest

My family visited the Hoh Rainforest in 1995 while living on Whidbey Island. The Hoh inspired the look of the forests around Forks in the series.