Remember when saying you met someone online sounded creepy and desperate?
Now people are less likely to raise an eyebrow when you say you are meeting someone online.
That is, unless of course you are being questioned by the Canadian Airport Security in which case they might ask you a whole slew of questions that you are ill prepared to answer. I will do the Canadian thing and apologize for that Patti. Next time I will give you my full biography in advance so you can study up and pass the test with flying colours.
Last week I was very fortunate to have two bloggers, Ally from Shy Biker and Patti from Not Dead Yet, come and visit me for a few days.
Ally made the trip all the way from just outside of NYC to Toronto on her motorcycle. Yes, I was impressed!
Patti flew up from the hot and steamy state of Florida to be greeted by the hot and steamy summer of Toronto. It is true folks! We do not have snow here year round and our go-to transportation is not via dog sled. Shocker!
Top Three Tips To Take Online Friendship To The Next Level
#1 Tip To Take Online Friendship To The Next Level
Make sure they aren’t serial killers. The first time I met Patti and Ally was last year during the 40+ Blogger Meet-up, so I already knew neither on of them were serial killers.
I also did a full background security check and traced their ancestors back thousands of years. Apparently they are both related to prehistoric man. Amazing!
#2 Tip To Take Online Friendship To The Next Level
Be prepared with an “out” excuse in case things don’t work out as planned. Make it realistic so as to not upset/tip-off your visitor.
“I’ve got to go home and finish watching my socks dry, or I think I hear my Mom calling me home for supper,”
only work under just the right circumstances. I’ve used both of these on my husband. I think he is suspicious about my Mom calling me home for supper. Especially since she lives on the other side of Canada and there is a three hour time difference.
Lucky for me I didn’t need to use my excuses for leaving the real life meet up early cause these guys are great!
#3 Tip To Take Online Friendship To The Next Level
Have an emergency number to call in case you need help.
I only called that number once when I went to pick up Ally from the wrong hotel. (I had a blond moment. Yes, my natural hair colour is blond.) Okay, twice because I didn’t remember where I’d parked the car. Honestly I only used my emergency number three times because I was getting bored sitting in traffic and needed someone to talk to while I ate all of the emergency snacks in my car.
Making New Friends Online Makes Blogging Meaningful
Online friendships like real life friendships require nurturing. Time is our most precious commodity, especially as we grow older and carving out some time to devote to new found friends is a priority for me, especially since I lost my real life best friend two years ago. No, she didn’t die, she just decided she didn’t want to be my friend any longer after 23 years. That is a whole other story. Letting go and moving on hasn’t been easy for me, but my online friendships that have turned into real life friendships have helped dramatically. In fact, they are honestly the only reason I continue to blog. Without them this blog would just be me dressing myself up like a 50 year old Barbie doll and taking photos of myself. Apparently I’ve never outgrown Barbie Dolls.
As I’ve gotten older I see how much harder it is to make new real life friends. Since I work from home and don’t go to school my only chance of meeting new people is when I’m running errands. Everyone at the grocery store just wants to get in and out of there as fast as possible. They don’t appreciate it when you strike up a conversation about your favourite brand of cereal, the overripe avocados or keep “accidentally” confusing their grocery cart with your own.
Making friends online is much more socially acceptable and what fuels my desire to continue blogging.
There is no way I would have randomly met these wonderful people in real life. That is the power of blogging and creating online friendships. The internet provides so much more than porn and hate forums. Photos and videos of baby pugs and connecting with fantastic, interesting, unique people top my list of things I love about the internet.
What is your favourite thing about the internet?
How do you manage to meet new friends?
Have you ever taken an online friendship to the next level? Did it work out?
Linking up with Throw Back Thursday
I’m always a tad jealous when I read about other bloggers meeting up, but that’s about to change as Kezzie and I are going to meet up when she comes to the islands on a cruise this summer. I shall hijack her for the day and give her the special local’s version of the grand tour ending with us having a sea swim together. Therefore I can be utter delighted and full of the milk of human kindness about your recent encounter with these lovelies. There are so many of you on that side of the pond who I would love to meet too. And you’re right, the friendship is the extra bonus in this blogging game.
Anna x
http://www.annasislandstyle.com
Lucky you! I think Kezzie will be a blast. I cannot believe you convinced her to go sea swimming with you!
I LOVE swimming!!!! We shall also have my Mum with us!!
You make me laugh. Out loud. Often. This post is hilarious. Your comic sense is honed to perfection.
Thanks for the trip, the hospitality and the wonderful write-up. You’re a doll!
Thanks for coming up and putting up with my nonsense ; P
Suzanne,
Your weekend sounds like fun and so great for you to meet up with other bloggers. I love the way you write your posts, you have a knack of making them so interesting and funny!
The Internet is a great place to connect with others and take a peek into different lifestyles. I find that the close friendships I have formed are from meeting people when out walking. A furry friend always helps as dog people are always so open to new friendships.
Thanks for the great post and so happy you enjoyed a wonderful time with your friends!
We used to take Zoe to a dog park and I had often thought I might meet some like minded pug lovers there. Sadly we stopped going when a very large poodle picked Zoe up by the neck.
That’s awful and sadly one of the down sides of a dog park. Such a shame as dogs like to play and make friends. It only take one meanie to ruin the fun.
Hope your Zoe didn’t get hurt and suffer any long term stress from such a horrible experience.
It was terrifying for me and my husband. I think we were more shaken up than Zoe.
I find that with Zoe food will cure almost any ailment : ) She takes after her Momma for that.
I can well relate to how you and your husband felt.
Great that Zoe moved on and is a healthy eater!
I can totally relate Suzanne—-I’ll start to talk to people while we’re out and about and my husband actually apologizes for me for getting “chatty” since I’m on the computer all day—-funny but slightly annoying? I’m allowed to talk to people I don’t know, right? Sometimes, I just hang out by the mailbox, so I can strike up a conversation with others (no, not really—I’m making that up, but I have been known to linger and not race back to the house!!)
As for the Barbie thing—I see nothing wrong with dressing up and taking pictures of yourself—I can think of a dozen more things that are harmful, crazy or downright spooky!!
How fun to have an international meetup!! It looks like you all had a blast with those smiles on your faces!
jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
Ha ha! You sound like my Mom or Dad. They will talk to anyone anytime. I am the polar opposite of them. I need to change that.
Want a crash course from me Suzanne hahaha. You said yourself I am like your dad, talking to everybody who comes within a radius of 2 meters of me.
I love your sense of humor and I agree that making friends as adults is much more difficult. My closes friends are now from the gym or friends from a running group I joined years ago.
I have not met anyone IRL to form a friendship yet but do hope so one day. I think it’s one of the reasons I hang to blogging.
Alice
http://www.happinessatmidlife.com
Hope to see you for TBT Fashion link up.
I wanted to join a running group thinking I’d meet a friend there and then I had the issues with my feet. I’m not a gym person. I kind of wish I were though.
I am holding out hope that you and I will meet IRL one day.
How about a book club? An eating club? My stepdaughter Nicky joined an eating club: 5 girls roughly the same age come together every three weeks and they cook a meal in turns. She also initiated an “after work drinks club”. Same principle. And she is slowly making more and more friends. Because you get to places through these connections.
Just a suggestion.
Greetje
How wonderful that you’ve learned to admire and respect each other from “a distance” then found the joy of infrequent physical connection can help (but isn’t “required” to sustain a lasting friendship!
I love the friendships I’ve developed online but I must be honest that having someone living closer is a whole other story. Meeting up more often and experiencing things together is preferred. I miss that. I have started FaceTiming with a couple of friends which is more personal and a whole lot less expensive than overseas airfare.
Hahahaha!!! I am so jealous!! You guys had such fun.
I’m absolutely agreeing to what you said about making friends online. It’s like a shortcut to finding people we connect with, which is how I found you and so many other awesome people, some of whom I’ve had the absolute delight to meet in real life, you and Patti and Ally included.
I can’t believe I’m related to you guys! Hahaha. The serial killer thing always crosses my mind, but if people are willing to meet me after reading my blog, I figure they are braver than I am. Heh.
Great post!! It’s the connections that keep me going as well.
Ha ha! Yes, I was worried about meeting you. I thought you would take one look at me and tell me I don’t measure up.
It looks as if you were having a good time, and it’s great that you were able to meet up. These days, with affordable airfares, taking a few days to visit friends is such a great opportunity.
Yes, making friends is harder as you get older. And even if you sometimes meet people you can relate to (taking a course of some sort for example), it seldom develops into a friendship or even leads to meeting up later. It takes time and effort to keep in touch, and if there is no ‘excuse’ ( i.e. some sort sort of regular meeting or activity you and the potential friends participate in) you have to fnd another reason to get together, and that’s when these promising would-be friendships often dwindle. It’s as if we are fine talking to people when there’s an ‘acceptable’, neutral reason for that (e.g. they’re part of a whatever group activity we we take part in) but if we have to say that there’s no other reason for meeting up with a new aqcuaintance than liking their company, it becomes a bit of a commitment issue.
“airfare” — ?? What’s that?!
LOL! Maybe just a few sore muscles for you, Ally! xo
It is very true that most people aren’t willing to commit to spending time together. Email, texting etc seems to have taken the place of real life face time.
I agree, those friendships formed online are fab! I have been lucky to have met up with half a dozen bloggers over the last year or so. Hopefully more to come later this year. Hey if you’re ever in Wales give me a shout! Xx
I will do! : ) I’ve never been to Wales and all of your lovely photos of your castles and tea parties are very tempting.
You’ve captured it for me – blogging is so amazing because of the people you have the opportunity to meet! And funnily enough, the first person I met is the person who’s commented above me, Porcelina! Meeting her really reinforced what an amazing thing this online community can be. The friendships I’ve made through blogging have been as good, if not better, than ones I’ve made offline!
I think it was extra fun for both of you as you were with your husbands. It looked like you all got along together as couples which is even better.
I am crying from laughing so hard. Maybe I shouldn’t have told the Customs guys we were all members of the serial-killer-wannabe club. It was a wonderful, unforgettable time and this post is going into my memory book. xox
Just wait till you see the next post I wrote about our meet-up. ALL will be revealed!!! (maniacal laugh)
aarrggghhh! I must leave town and change my name. Not the hotel bed story!! xox
Gosh Patti…I wasn’t even going to mention it. Now people will be wondering about it.
Look away, nothing to see here. : >
Ha ha! You crack me up!
Great post, great fun!
My favorite thing about the internet is Daphne The French Bulldog and de Cwiminals (facebook) and style blogs like yours and zillow.
Meeting new friends is tough. I too work from home. I’ve moved from the place I had always lived to a town where I only knew my husband. I’ve never been a mom so don’t fit in that group, I don’t go to church, I’m socially liberal and I’m an introvert but not shy. I used to belong to a wine group through Meetup and they were a blast. We’d go winery hopping, close down restaurants, etc and then I’d get to go home and be by myself to recharge.
I met my husband online after a long string of weird/wacky/boring dates and bad matches. Been together 9 years now. I’ve also found a new uncle and new aunt and cousins from the internet too. My grandmother apparently couldn’t keep her knees together. 🙂
I agree, it is hard when you don’t belong to a Mommy group. I also don’t go to church. I’ve heard a bit about those meet-ups. Did you discover yours online? I might want to try it out.
Yep, right on meetup.com. Not sure how I first found that site. Instead of dating you are looking for like minded people. I used to belon to a wine group, cooking group and hiking/walking group.
That’s so awesome! Looks like you guys had a great time. You make some really interesting points about friendship and the modern condition. And now you have me thinking. I seem to be having a blogging existential crisis but thank you for a new angle to think about it while I’m nutting it out in my head. It’s so nice that there are still blogs that are interesting to READ as opposed to just looking at pictures and reading about brands. Thanks for that! Xx
I’ve noticed you’re taking an extended blogging break. I want to read about your travels through the US!
I am also turned off immediately from blogs that are repeating what everyone else is saying or just posting boring photos of the current “blogger uniform”.
Funny enough my damn husband doesn’t read my posts. He just looks at the pictures!
And now for my reaaaal comment! This was so funny! I love the way you turned all the ‘Meeting someone online’ tips in this funny way!!! Ally and Patti are amaazing and I am so envious you got to meet both-twice!!!!! xx
I consider myself very lucky that they both made the trip to visit me.
This is fantastic, dear Suzanne! I agree with you – blogging helped me some times, and because of interaction I go on, cause I am not that comfortable with some pictures 🙂 I am glad that Ally and Patti visited you and wow, that trip on a motorcycle, wow! It’s really nice to be able to meet lovely people! I am glad you gave the suggestions, an emergency number is important. I also liked the excuses 🙂 because I had an experience a few years ago and oh my word, that was nearly a nightmare. I am sorry for the friendship that ended after 23 years, maybe the person was dealing with inner problems… but glad you had blogging to help recovering! Hope you have a nice weekend! (by the way, your post was not delivered as usual, to my inbox… I am glad I saw there was a new post!) Bisous!
DenisesPlanet.com
You must write about your awful experience! Yes, I’m nosey like that. LOL.
You are right, she was dealing with her own problems.
Do you get an email once per week? Normally it only sends out on Mondays because I had too many people complain that they were receiving too many emails.
Thanks, a great post, so pleased you all had a wonderful time.
Thanks for popping by Elizabeth : )
You guys look like you had a blast! I’ve had the chance to meet so many truly great people online, present company included, and that is truly my favorite thing about blogging. I had the chance to meet a couple of different friends IRL that I met through blogging and Instagram, but unfortunately my husband and son are certain that all of you are serial killers! Yes, I’m a grown ass woman, but sometimes we have to keep the people at home happy.
Debbie
http://www.fashionfairydust.com
I’m telling you right now if I’m down your way I expect that I can finally meet my hair twin! I promise to leave my serial killing instincts at home.
Sounds like you had a wonderful time! Love your sense of humor!
And, yes, I’ve made friends through my blog, and those friendships are what keeps me blogging. There are a handful of bloggers who started right around the same time I started my blog seven years ago, and we still read each others blogs and keep in touch by email. I’ve also met several bloggers IRL. My older son always gives me a hard time when I meet someone I met on the Internet, saying that I always told him to be really careful online when he was growing up…
Ha ha! Kids…they always catch you up. My Dad’s famous saying was, “Do as I say, not as I do.” I hated that. : P
I agree with you – if it wasn’t for the friends I’ve made via my blog, and the desire to keep the connections going, I may have quit blogging. The stigma of “meeting people online” is pretty much gone, but I do have people from my work say how “brave” I am to fly to another city (or across the country) to meet up with someone I’ve only communicated with via email or phone. It gets harder to make new friends as we age; people have families, careers, and more settled lives and I have found that only the friendships where there is a strong emotional connection and shared interests survive. I had someone I thought was a good friend “dump” me after being friends for several years, and it was hard to move on from it, so I can’t imagine how you must have felt when someone you thought of as your best friend decided after 23 years that they weren’t. That says more about them than you.
absolutely stunning post!!, lovely advice (mwahahaha) and so fabulous to see you having fun with your friends!. Hurrah for bloggers meetings!!
I agree that it’s difficult to make friends when you’re an adult, particularly when you’ve moved recently (as I did too). But blogging is a really fabulous activity!! Most of the people I’ve met last two years, they had contact with me through internet and now they’re becoming close friends (it took some time, indeed)
besos
You see how many people recognize themselves in what you (so funnily) wrote. I agree with you (of course). Had a blast of a time with you lot in Vancouver. Those days are right up there with a star. Like the week you came to The Netherlands. What a grand idea that was.
It is lovely to spend time with friends and I am glad you got to meet Patti and Ally again. If you are not about to reveal it on the blog, can you email me the hotelbed story hahahaha.
Greetje
What a fun read! I loved seeing the photos of you, Ally and Patti, you look so comfortable in one another’s company.
I know what you mean, a few years ago if you’d told someone you were meeting someone you’d met on the internet and they’d think you were about to meet a grisly end. I’ve lost track of the amount of fantastic women I’ve met through my blog, like-minded, big-hearted people I’d never have met otherwise. This morning a man came and knocked the door with a gift, his wife has read my blog for years and he recognised our house as he’d lived in the area as a child. With all the horrible stuff going on in our country at the moment it made me very happy indeed. xxx
What a great way to start the day!
I love my online blog friends! I feel like we are one big happy, supportive family! FYI : Southwest is having a sale…just in case a thrift trip to Vegas is in your future!! 😉
When I come to visit you in Vegas it will be in our winter : ) I need to take advantage of leaving here when it is cold.