I just got back from a very cool lunch date with a woman that I've only known through my blog before. We've been reading each other's blogs for over a year now, and I always think she has something interesting to post about. But to actually meet, in person, is taking the blog-friendship to a whole new level.
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Can I just say I heart Laura! We met at this hole in the wall monolian restaurant that I just adore. I eat there about once a week, even though I live 1 hour drive from it. I'm seriously considering moving closer into the city to be near the restaurant.
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Yup. That's how much thought I put into all my big decisions.
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But back to Laura. I walked in and saw her sitting at the table already. I stopped from a minute to really let it sink in. Moment of truth, right? What if in person, it'd be totally different? After all, I never did tell her I was short. What if she didn't like me?
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(I sound like a highschool kid on a first date)
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Well, I needn't have worried. She was fantastic. Not only is she tall, beautiful and smart but she's got a great sense of humour and a number of fantastic stories. Poor girl couldn't get to her food, since I kept playing 20 questions.
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But it turns out we have a lot of things in common, from the type of car we go for (just cause it's cute, right Laura?) to the travelling bug , to both of us wanting to leave our current jobs, and even to the fact that we both narrowly escaped marrying musicians. Both our exes are convinced they are headed for 'big time' rockstar status.
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It's so cool to meet a fellow blogger, especially one who's life you've been 'following' over the years. It doesn't feel like meeting a stranger, as much as a friend you've never met.
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At one point we were talking about dogs, and I asked 'who's watching Sierra now?' as if I've met the dog before. But I just feel so connected to her life, since I've been reading her for so long. And more than once, we both referred to past things that happened in our lives, and the other one would nod and remember having read about it.
Too cool.
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Have you met any of your blog friends? If so, was it cool? Did you hit it off right away?
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And truthfully, how many of you would actually put an effort into it and travel
to meet another blogger?
(I'm not talking halfway across the world here, but a reasonable distance)
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HamiHarri- are you reading this?? (LOL)
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23 comments:
Aww you're so sweet! It was so lovely to meet you. Thanks for all the nice things you said about me. You looked just how I expected. It was indeed cool to talk about things that I remember you writing about, and also hear other stories I haven't heard from you before.
I would travel to meet other bloggers, but if it was really far, then probably only if I also had an additional reason to go. But I went to BlogHer in 2006, so I travelled way out of my way for that!
Photos are coming later... my laptop for some reason doesn't recognize my camera when I plug in the cord to transfer the photos, so I have to wait till the other computer in the house is available.
I just went to visit your new 'real life' buddy and her blog rocks. I'm a new fan. ;)
I have never met a blog buddy. I have some real life blog buddies, but I knew them b/f blogging. I'm trying to put something together with a few cool peeps in the Seattle area, though. I think it would be a blast and I love reading a success story!!
Laura - you totally got me pumped up for BlogHer (or the new version of it this year), July you said? Hmmm...
Annie - Seattle? Are you kidding? That is at most 2 hours away from here!!! You are right up there on my list of people to meet :-)
How cool! I think this is awesome and I hope that if you ever drop by London, you'll nudge me too and vice versa (in a non-psycho/stalker way).
Have I met any of my blogger friends? Hmm, let me think. Nope, oh wait...YOU! That's how I got into blogging in the first place. I knew you and moved across the country and you forced me to blog. It is very cool how you get to know people through blogging and the relationships built through it.
La Cremiere - You got it. Too bad I didn't know you last time I was in london..(2006). Well, you look me up too if you come to Canada.
Eileen - You're right. I 'forced you' to blog...lol.
You know what though? We've gotten closer because of it. We wouldn't have kept such good tabs on each other had we not been reading each other's blogs!
I just met Lawyermama....and I felt exactly as you did....nervous at first, and then elated!
I would LOVE to meet my favorite Canadian....I just KNOW we would get in SO much trouble! :)
I am hoping to fly to VA and meet the rest of LM's family in the early fall!
Awe it makes me happy to hear that your finding friends..and blog friends are very important...thanks for hanging in there...I'm just licking my wounds but I am still here and still reading!!! thanks for your support!! Cheers!
I've thought about meeting a blogger that I read, a couple of times. Given distances, it would probably be like a big blind date, something I never liked. Much better to get to know someone a bit at a time, picking up the pace if the match is there, or slowing it down if a mismatch seems apparent.
That said, I know you, when he wrote, read Ryan. We Email now and again and we are going to hook up for lunch the next time he's in town. I'll find out if he's as funny off the cuff as he is (was) in posts. By the way, send him an Email, he has news.
I've never met a blogfriend before. I'm hoping to go to a writer's conference this summer though and would have to pass through a couple of blog-friends' towns to get there. I'm hoping to take advantage of that opportunity!
Queen - I KNOW!! You and Lawyermama really seem to have hit it off (and your kids too). How nice to see.
Just telling - Stay strong. When you feel down or mad, blog about it. We're here for you.
My friend Laura -the lady that i met yesterday - is going through the exact same thing as you are right now. Keep your chin up, you'll come out the other side :-)
Dave - Ryan is a super cool blogger. I can't wait til you meet him, I want to know how it goes!!
We used to email back and forth, then he seemed to take a breather. I've emailed him again tonight, I have a feeling I know what news he has.
Sayre - too bad you're not closer to me. I'd love for you to hit my town too.
I would. I am planning on meeting a reading challenge blogger at the end of the month in Madison WI. We are going for a chess tournament and then I know personnally two of my bloggers on my roll.I went to school with one and her mother and father. So three. Sorry. Then I am planning on meeting another this spring. When she comes to Chicago. She wants to drive up and meet me and family.
I would. I am planning on meeting a reading challenge blogger at the end of the month in Madison WI. We are going for a chess tournament and then I know personnally two of my bloggers on my roll.I went to school with one and her mother and father. So three. Sorry. Then I am planning on meeting another this spring. When she comes to Chicago. She wants to drive up and meet me and family.
Actually, before blogging and before the Internet, there was "Telnet" for anyone with a connection to a university, government, military or major corporate mainframe. I belonged to a Writers group hosted on the server at MIT. One summer, I drove cross-country on a research trip and got to meet one guy in Houston, TX, another guy and his son in Manhattan, KS, a chick from Wyoming, and another chick from Port Angeles, WA. All of them were terrific people and the chick from WA was amazingly helpful in hooking me up with big wigs in the environmental field, plus timbermen and fishermen to help me with my research project. Later the chick from Wyoming came down to Arkansas, where I was living at the time, and we went out club hopping. So much fun!
Tweets - Sounds like fun. I did realize you and at least one of your readers knew each other from before, just through the comments.
VV - I love how throughout the entire comment, you still refer to her as 'the chick' from Wayoming. Priceless.
Well her moniker was "Lady Jane Gray" and mine was "The Lurking Lowe Chick." In my book, most people are chicks and dudes. Some part of my brain just never grew up I guess. ;-)
I love meeting people I know only from online.
It sounds so scary to me. All of the bloggers getting together for the first time seem to have a fabulous time though, so, maybe after I lose 50 or so pounds and get a facelift!
Just for the record....if you and Annie meet up...I MAY be entirely too jealous to ever speak to EITHER of you again! (hee-hee)
That's cool. I've never met any of my "blog friends." I'm afraid they won't accept me once they find out I'm actually a 13 year old girl.
Hi girl,
I haven't been around lately so thought I'd pop in. Winter blahs, I guess. I hope everything is well with you. Looks like you haven't been around much either. Ah life, huh?
One does get to know people with these blogs. Maybe even more so then in person because we really hear what they say when we read it. It's a whole new way of getting to know the world and how different yet how much alike we all are.
Maybe us bloggers will bring the world to a happier place. I hope so.
Come try some of my challenges if you have time. They may have went to archives by now...so you may have to snoop.
Be Happy. I'm glad you were able to meet Laura and her you.
xxxJolie
Write for me. Please?
Yes! I am reading it...lol...a little belated I must admit! AND I am so jealous of you too...
Your discription of what it was like meeting a "blogfriend" is just how I imagined it...*sigh...I will make it to Vancouver soon!
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