Last November, I decided to take the challenge of blogging every day for a month during NaBloPoMo. It was hard. But it was an awesome experience. I even continued to daily blog in December. Because I’m crazy like that.
I got my blogging mojo and found lots of great new blogs to read in the process.
I also connected with some awesome bloggers. Bloggers who I’ve come to know from reading their words and commenting back and forth on our blogs.
I found myself referring to one of these bloggers as a friend the other day in regular conversation. I then noted that I had never met the person, but our conversations between blogs and emails made it feel like we were regular friends that see each other in real life.
That’s the power of blogging. Those that ask me about why I blog don’t quite get that you can actually make friends while blogging. We read each others words and connect through those words. That’s kind of the point.
Anyway, so this is love was one of those blogs I started following back in November. It’s an awesome blog written by a married couple, Casey and Jenn (Though it’s mostly Jenn. Casey – you need to write more posts!). Jenn is a social worker from Maine, and she writes some great stuff. Her Kid Quotes Friday are hilarious and her posts on struggling with infertility have actually taught me quite a lot. You should go read it.
Today (actually yesterday, since I’m scheduling the post to publish tomorrow morning), I got to meet Jenn live and in person! I’ve been reading about how she’s getting ready to move to North Carolina. At some point, I thought, why the heck don’t we meet. We live so close to each other.
So, I emailed her and asked her out on a coffee date. We met at a Starbucks on a rare 90 degree day in Maine. Go figure. (I guess Jenn will have to get used to the heat.)
It was fun, and we had no trouble talking. We asked each other questions about our lives, our work, our dogs. You name it. It’s funny how much you can learn about a person by following a blog.
At the end, we took pics from our iPhones. Because the meeting would not have existed if we didn’t document it on our blogs.
Of course, Jenn totally beat me to publishing a post about our coffee date. And she even got another Jen to visit my blog before I realized it. She also made macaroni in a teapot.
Bloggy friends are fun.
Is it me, or do we both look a little scared of your phone or something? LOL. Great post! So glad we met on the interwebs, and that we got to meet in person! You betcha I’ll be knocking on your door when I’m back in Maine for visits 🙂
Awesome! And, we’ll just blame the heat for the picture.
I love meeting other bloggers in person. I am going to BlogHer in August with 2 friends that I met online. I have never met either of them in person and am looking forward to it.
I’ll be at BlogHer in August too! Can’t wait. Maybe we can meet as well!
I’ve developed such lovely friendships in the short time I’ve been blogging. And I think all of us have a mental list of bloggers we’d love to meet in person. I know I do. Glad you gals had your coffee date.
Thanks, Jen. And I’m glad I found your blog through Jenn as well!
I have met so many great people through blogging. I have gone on vacation with some – and two have actually relocated to my area so we see each other IRL a lot now. I love the avenue that blogging has given us to make some fabulous friends and connections!!
Visting from SITS sharefest!
Blogging is a great way to meet like-minded people. So fun to meet in person! Thanks for coming by.
That’s the coolest thing! How awesome when blogging can connect us to so many great and wonderful people. If for nothing else, maybe that’s why we do it! (Showing some SITS love!)
Very true. We are all looking for connections, aren’t we? Thanks for the SITS love!
I have several “friends” I have met through blogging. A few are near and dear to my heart although we have never met in person.
I went to my first social media event back in May and met many wonderful people, friends.
It’s fun to meet people you interact with on social media. Avatars don’t do people justice! Plus, isn’t the point to make connections? 🙂
I’m totally late in reading your post, but wanted to chime in and agree that making friends online through blogging is definitely one of the best perks to blogging. It’s such an isolated experience much of the time that we definitely need to make these connections and friendships. So glad to have met you!
I may not be able to make the Blogher conference this year. 🙁 I have an all-day board meeting on Aug. 5th in Boston. I may still try to get there for the 3rd but need to see what our family plans are for that week.
Happy blogging!
So glad we met as well! At some point, we’ll connect in person. We’ll just have to be aware of the opportunities. Hopefully you can make it on the 3rd! That would be awesome.