I went through about ten different versions of blog coffee date and as you can see in the photo above, I ended up kind of getting them all mashed up and confused.
But that's not the point of this post. A few weeks ago, I got an email from one of my blogging friends, Julie, who let me know that she'd be in the PNW on vacation with her family.
Julie just so happens to be my first official blog friend. I can't remember who visited who first on their blogs, but we bonded over our similar personalities, likes/dislikes, and love for food, photography, and blogging. We went from commenting on blog comments, to emails, to texts, and then to being Facebook friends. In terms of friendships, it was definitely meant to be.
So when Julie let me know she'd be in my neck of the woods, I knew we had to meet. I wasn't sure if we'd be able to because of schedules and timing and such, but our schedules matched up and a coffee date was put into plan.
Let's just say that I was kind of a nervous wreck before we met up. The night before, I felt the same nerves I do the night before Christmas. The drive there was filled with butterflies in my stomach. But once we exchanged hugs, it all changed.
I felt just like I was meeting up with a friend from out of town. We started out at an over-priced bakery where we bought and split a delicious double chocolate brownie cookie and then walked down to a Starbucks nearby where we chatted, chatted, and then chatted some more.
It may seem cliche for two bloggers to meet up at a Starbucks, but it was the perfect chance for us to catch up on each other's lives and just hang out. It was so worth the butterflies and nerves. And it was the perfect example of why I need community in my life.
Getting to hang out with Julie reminded me of the importance of community and how the blog world isn't just a made up thing. It's real and the people you meet are more than just writers behind a computer screen. They're people and they're people who can quickly become amazing friends.
So now we're not just blog friends, we're friend-friends. And now that I've got one blog meet-up checked off my list, I'm ready for more!
Tell me, have you ever met up with a fellow blogger? Was it nerve-wracking? What did you do? And if you haven't, have you exchanged emails or Skyped or snail-mailed a blogger? Who would you like to have a blog coffee date with?
This is so sweet! I haven't met with any of my blog friends yet, but I'm in a small FB group for CA bloggers and we're planning to meet up later this year. I will probably be a nervous wreck, too! Hahah.
ReplyDeleteSo fun! Love meeting bloggers in real life :)
ReplyDeleteOne of the many cool things that comes from blogging!
ReplyDeleteI have never met up with someone I've met blogging! I'm so glad you got to!!! Your little date sounds like a lot of fun. Meeting in person just helps change things - in a really good way!
ReplyDeleteWow, so much fun!! I have just met one blogger friend in real life, but that is going to change soon! (this month probably!) I'm so excited that you guys had a great time!
ReplyDeleteI love this! :)
ReplyDeleteYay!!! I'm so glad you girls had such a great time!!! Meeting bloggers in real life is seriously one of my favorite things!!! :-)
ReplyDeletei'm so glad y'all were able to meet up and invest in each other face-to-face!
ReplyDeleteit is just needed - and you're right, community here is REAL.
i think that is one of the things i'm most looking forward to with this retreat in october...getting to meet some of my blog friends in real life and really hear about their lives while sipping something hot! :)
Oh cool! That sounds like a lot of fun! As an introvert, I'm definitely more comfortable meeting people one-on-one but I think getting to meet multiple bloggers would be a lot of fun, too. You'll have to tell me how it goes! :)
ReplyDeleteI completely agree! I was a total nervous wreck before we met, but it was so much fun that I'm ready for another one. :)
ReplyDeleteYES! There are so many things I love about blogging but getting to meet a blogger in person was so much fun and just like all the other bloggers out there have described their blog dates! :)
ReplyDeleteMeeting in person definitely changes things (in a good way!). As much as I love snail mail and emails and Skype dates, getting to sit across the table from someone in person is just so much more fun. We'll have to meet up someday!
ReplyDeleteOoh, another blog date?! That's exciting! I can't wait to hear more about it! :)
ReplyDeleteMe, too! :)
ReplyDeleteIt was definitely a fun time and not as awkward as I thought it might be. I can't wait until we meet up! :)
ReplyDeleteCommunity here is most definitely real. It's not just words you read on a screen but a relationship, a friendship, and a place where you can share your life with people who just GET you. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd I am SO INCREDIBLY jealous that you get to go to that retreat! So jealous. :)
I know what you mean! I really want to meet you in person too. We should try to figure out a place to have a PNW meet up - there's got to be more of us!
ReplyDelete~ Victoria
www.myjourneyforhim.blogspot.com
This makes my heart so happy! Real life meetups are the best!
ReplyDeleteSo much fun! I have met one of my good blog friends. I was really nervous too, but it wasn't awkward at all!
ReplyDeleteI have met a blog friend in real life! And... We met at Sbucks too :) we've been able to hang out 3 or 4 times now, and it's awesome. I was really nervous before we met, but now we're really good friends!
ReplyDelete2 of my favorite blog ladies!! Glad the blog date went well. :)
ReplyDeleteThat would be awesome! I am definitely not that skilled when it comes to coordinating those kinds of things (seriously, that is a talent of yours, I think!) but I've always wanted to do some sort of meet-up in the PNW. :)
ReplyDeleteReal life meetups really are the best! I always love seeing when you and Jenna meet up and I feel like I finally got to take a little taste into what it feels like to meet a blogger in real life. :)
ReplyDeleteThat's how I feel! I was super nervous before it started but once we started talking, it was just like hanging out with other friends. :)
ReplyDeleteI think Starbucks is the place for bloggers to meet! :) That's really cool that you've been able to meet up multiple times with the same blogging friend--I can only imagine how much stronger your friendship must be now!
ReplyDeleteNext time you're coming, okay? Seriously, though. I kept thinking of you and Susannah and how you should've been there, too! :)
ReplyDeleteGirl, I'm the SAME exact way. I can either talk or not at all. But it was a lot of fun and it helps that we pretty much already knew everything about each other, haha. :)
ReplyDeleteMy very first blog meet up was with Christina of Sweet Lavender Bake Shoppe and I was nervous too! It was extra fun because both of our husbands came and we met at Starbucks! It was too fun and we talked and talked. I have also had a blast building a relationship with Beth and Meg. We love doing google hangouts together it's so fun!
ReplyDeleteThat's so cool that you got to meet Christina and that you got to meet up at Starbucks (I'm thinking that's the place for bloggers to meet, haha) and that your husbands tagged along, too. And I also love that you, Beth, and Meg do Google Hangouts together! I've done Skype dates with bloggers and it's the best. :)
ReplyDeleteI LOVE this! :)
ReplyDeleteActually I am super jealous...but still! :)
I have gotten to have a google hangout time with Rachel of Our Yellow Door and Jordyn of She Who Fears....the three of us chatted for like 3 hours! They were super patient with my crazy internet and we were all such kindred spirits! It was awesome! :)
I would love to meet up with YOU definitely, Rachel at Oh Simple Thoughts, Madison at The Wetherill's Say I Do....and Samantha at Elah Tree definitely! And really....ALL of the blogs that I read I would love to have coffee with the writers! Such awesome women!
Julie was my first blogger date too! Isn't she the sweetest?? I am so thankful for this community that blogging has brought into my life! It's the best.
ReplyDeleteThat's so cool! Meeting Julie was so fun and it really was like meeting any other friend (except better in my opinion!). :) Who would've guessed that blogging would bring so many friends in my life?
ReplyDeleteI recently did my first every Skype chat with a fellow blogger in Australia- it was so bizarre but super cool. Although weird that we knew so much about each other's lives and chatted like old friends even though we'd never spoken before. Blogging is so bizarre like that :P
ReplyDeleteTotally agree! It can definitely be bizarre but it's also really cool. I had that EXACT same experience. Even though we hadn't spoken before, we'd written emails and pretty much knew everything about each other. Blogging is definitely weird--but cool, too! :)
ReplyDeleteWait, whaaaat? Where in the PNW are you? I'm from Bellingham originally, but God's had my little family working as missionaries in Vienna for the past 2 years (and counting).
ReplyDelete(Yes, I'm creeping on your blog at 2am. I love all, ALL of your posts!)
Hi Tawni! I'm off to email you where I live (I don't like to share too much about it online). And feel free to creep all you want, haha. I'm flattered that you like my blog and enjoy my posts!
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