being a proud owner of a board

Question
Hi. Not too long ago, I started to learn the basics on how to get on a board, stay on, and ride. By no means am I decent but I aspire to be, so I want to purchase a skateboard of my own and practice, but I have no idea how or where to start. I know absolutely nothing on what to buy. I don't want to go into a shop unprepared and have a salesperson who doesn't really have my interest in mind to tell me what to get. Have you any advice on what I should ask for, the proper terminology, and what will be right for me? I am a beginner but I want something that I can keep for a long time and use even after I get, hopefully, somewhat decent.  Thanks for taking my email.  Sincerely, Sarah

Answer
First off Id like to say it's kick ass that your a girl and skateboarding there arent too many girl skateboarders out there so I just think thats awesome. Anyway onto the business at hand. Well what youll need terminology wise is a deck,sheet of griptape, trucks, wheels,bearings and hardware. I can't really reccomend for you to get a specific brand because one brand might be good for me but might suck for you. My suggestion is get something that appeals to you trial and error is the key to finding perfect equipment. I can tell you though that dont get a baker,birdhouse, or hollywood boards everyone seems to break those in a short amount of time.
Hope Iv'e helped you some.
-Ed