Stranger Danger… Or Not: Meeting Online Friends IRL

by | Apr 22, 2012 | Life | 7 comments

It’s a funny reality… this blogging life.

Meeting people online one day, and sleeping with them the next…

TOTES COMMONPLACE.

It began for me in 2009 when I went to BlogHer in Chicago and roomed with 4 women I had never met…

I did it again in 2010 when I roomed with 4 new women at Mom 2.0…

Then again for Evo when I roomed with 2 gals I had met before, but not the other 6 roomies. Or did we have 9 roomies in that suite?

I remember my friend Lu walked in the door of our room that first day  of Evo and woke me up from my nap. My first words were something like, “You get to share a bed with me!” Then I wiped drool off my chin, gave her a hug and handed her some glitter spray.

RIGHT, LU?

That night, we snuggled into our full sized bed and  despite my best efforts to sleep modestly… I had to break the news to her… I had to tell her I sleep in my undies and couldn’t bear to keep my jammie pants on one more second. It was at that point our eternal bond was sealed.

This last weekend I did not have to share a bed with a stranger, but a long-time online friend and  I finally got to meet.

WENDY and I have been online friends for a couple of years… You know, we met each othersssesss blogs and a mutual stalking began.

A few months ago she told me she would be in my area for a speaking gig, we knew it was time… TO MEET.

So on Friday evening I made the 1.5 hour drive to Olympia to hear her speak and then the plan was for her to come home with me and spend the night.

SIGHT UNSEEN.

I could have been anybody.

SHE could have been anybody.

Boy were we both relieved to find out we were both really women.

Though she was a bit surprised at my appearance. Apparently I look taller online.

GO BIG OR GO HOME, right?

Long story short, Wendy is every bit as delightful as I ever imagined. And I have dozens upon dozens of pictures to prove it.

I also have video of Kevin “attacking” her.

And while my experience of meeting new friends online IRL has me sharing a bed with women… Wendy got to share the hideaway with Kevin.

What can I say? He’s a people dog.

Until I can get my video edit on… here’s Wendy doing a toe touch on the Bainbridge to Seattle ferry…

Wendy does a toe touch!

And she captured a picture of me doing a jump much like one might find in minty-fresh gum commercial or something…

Jots jumps

THAT IS HOW DELIGHTED WE WERE TO SEE EACH OTHER.

And if anyone was on the Bainbridge-Seattle run at 12:20 last Saturday, um… Yes. It was ME.

Wendy made me do it.

P.S. Wendy is the author of a GREAT book – Totally Desperate Mom. You should totes check it. If she can catch that kinda air on the deck of a ferry, you KNOW her book must be good!

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