Back in the mid 90s, around the time when everyone started getting internet at home, I was kind of doubtful about online forums where people would meet and chat for hours. Then came the messenger era. Even then, I only ever added family members and friends that I knew personally. Like Tania said the other day, whilst she also was skeptical of relationships with random strangers on the web, today: "some of the friendships I value the most were born online".
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| Thoughtful Gabe sinking the city in. |
Around 3 years ago I started reading blogs. First a couple, that I checked daily, and then, another, and another were added to that list. It was the boy, who encouraged me to start writing my own; at first I wasn't sure if I was going to get into it. Lauren's blog, "Better in real life" was one of those first blogs I read and her honesty and authenticity have always shone through her writing. She's never afraid of telling us a funny or embarrassing story. And the way she shares her dreams and struggles inspired me to do the same. I thought, if she can do it, I can give it a try too. As I kept reading her, I realized how similar we are (in many things) and we started developing a friendship. So, of course, we were crazy excited to get to meet Lauren, Kamel and baby Gabe.
It was lots of fun, they welcomed us at their home, where we ate yummy Mexican food and chatted. On a different day we met Kamel at Union Square, picked up Lauren on her first day back at work and headed to the Ferry building for some food. It was the first time little Gabe went to the city, and he was quite calm the whole time.
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| Those last 2 pics were stolen from Kamel's instagram. |
We shared cupcakes and stroopwafels and talked and talked and talked. I am so happy I dared to take the plunge and start this blog, so many friendships have started here. There are many of you that I would like to meet (and a few others that I have been already lucky enough to do so). What is your take on internet connections? Did you jump full-on board since its dawn, or was it a slow process?
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| I wonder what's on this little philosopher's mind? |
La verdad es que nunca he conocido en persona a gente que haya conocido a través de internet – creo que me pondría muy nerviosa, qué pensarán de mí, etc etc – pero algún día puede que lo haga! :)
ReplyDeleteSí, te entiendo. Aunque con todo lo que compartimos por aquí, con algunas personas es como si las conocieras desde antes.
Deletea beautiful post :) Some of my closest friends are my internet ones! X
ReplyDelete:) Yes, it's a nice place internet / the blogosphere these days, at least the little circles where we move !
Deleteooooooh! Looks like you guys had a great time :)
ReplyDeleteI met all of my best friends online, mostly in internet forums. I wasn't a super early adopter, but started going on forums as a way of procrastination while I was at uni.
Yup it was fun!
DeleteOh procrastrination at uni... yup, remember those days. It's nice that you met your best friends online!
Ahw wat een mooie post en baby gaby ziet er super leuk uit, echt een denker :D Ik ben net als jij altijd heel terug houdend geweest op het gebied van internet vrienden. Maar nu ik mijn eigen blog heb kijk ik daar toch heel anders naar. De bloggerwereld is een wereld op zich, vol met interessante, inspirerende en leuke mensen. Ik ben super blij dat ik je ontmoet heb, dat je een geweldige heerlijke taart voor me gebakken hebt (daar ga ik nog over posten ;-)en dat ik bijna dagelijks je mooie blog kan lezen!
ReplyDeletexx
liquoriceandpumps.blogspot.com
Dank je wel voor het lezen van mijn blog en dat je een van mijn eerste klanten wilde zijn, het was erg leuk om je te ontmoeten.
DeleteDe bloggerwereld is inderdaad een wereld op zichzelf.
I was looking for the "Like" button that is OBVIOUSLY not here! lol... So here, have my virtual LIKE! :D
ReplyDeleteHahahaha :) no like buttons here, but thanks!
DeleteIt takes me a long time to warm up to internet friends, but I've met some of them (like APW group), and turns out sometimes you just click with some people. But maybe that shouldn't be so unexpected, since we find each other through common interests on the internet in the first place.
ReplyDeleteYes exactly, I have also met some APW-readers here and it has been really nice, but like you say, on the one hand we share quite a bit, and on the other we connect with people that are in ways similar.
DeleteAw, Amanda, it's so sweet seeing you holding Gabe! It makes me smile. I've made so many friends through blogging; without wanting to be over-dramatic, it's changed my life in more ways than one. I'm glad you got to spend time with Lauren and her wee family - if you're ever in Scotland, let me know!!
ReplyDelete:) Reading this made me smile ! Gabe is super cute and I was so happy to meet Lauren and fam. And yes, I totally get you on the blogging friendships, so much support, and fun things too.
DeleteI'll let you know if we make it to Scotland, it's on our list for sure, and I would really like to meet you (ok now I sound stalkerish). If you come to The Netherlands let me know too !
Después de leer este post me quedé pensando acerca de si conocía o no en persona a la gente mas cercana que tengo en Internet. Y es que, precisamente como se comentó con anterioridad, me parece que nos conocemos tanto que ya nos hemos conocido en persona cuando en realidad no lo hicimos!!! Jajajajajaja Creo que conocer a alguien face to face es un poco intimidante y quizás por miedo al "que pensaran de mi" uno deja de ser uno mismo en persona. Pero conocerse y entablar una amistad online es muy lindo porque uno no siente tanto las presiones sociales y es mas "real" que si fuera real el encuentro!
ReplyDeleteExacto compartimos tantas cosas por aquí, algunas de las que nos hacen vulnerables, que es como si ya nos conocieramos, y como dices, en cierta forma es más real porque no hay superficialidades, y podemos llegar a conocer personas con las que en la vida real sería tal vez difícil llegar a coincidir. Es lindo!
DeleteWhat I love so much about the internet is that it opens the doors to making friends with people who you otherwise wouldn't have the chance to meet and connect with over the everyday course of life. People who have the intangible similarity and connection but also come with this wealth of different perspective and experience. :)
ReplyDeleteExactly, the chance to connect with people you wouldn't otherwise have been able to meet. It really is valuable and quite amazing, in many ways distances get shorter and shorter :)
DeleteAs you know, my blogging foray has been solely centred around my experiences of loss and infertility, and before that I was never very into internet relationships or social media or the rest. But since having those experiences, and reaching out to and being embraced other women in similar circumstances, I feel internet connections have virtually changed my life and kept me sane. We share so much of a very personal nature too, that I have this odd feeling of being very close friends with some women I have never (yet!) met. It really is a kind of magic. I like to think it is yet one more gift that my son, in his short life, has given me, these connections with beautiful, compassionate women all over the globe :)
ReplyDeleteYes, exactly, there is this feeling of closeness, regardless of our actual physical locations. At the beginning of our fertility issues I was afraid to talk about it, my close family knew, but it was a pain trapped inside me. Sharing it for the first time here was hard, but I received a huge amount of support (I did not know what to expect, I just had to let the feelings out of my system).
DeleteAnd now all these friendships have emerged that definitely help to keep us sane. How beautiful that you see this as one of the gifts your little son have you. Hugs.
Baby photos!! He's so introspective :)
ReplyDeleteHe really is, I really wonder what goes on in baby's minds. They observe anything and they are way smarter than we think, the only thing they can't do is talk, but they are already learning everything.
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