The first time I met an "internet stalker" as the Queenager calls them (bloggy friends to you and me), was several years ago when Brit Girl Sarah visited Chicago with the Hubster. The kids gave me quite a bit of grief for letting them into the house. (Tongue in cheek, you understand.) After all, how many times had I talked to them about strange people on the Internet. You can read about Sarah's visit here.
And then I attended the 2010 and 2011 CyberMummy conferences in London, which I referred to as Writers' Conferences, when grilled by family and friends. You know - those people who don't quite "get" blogging. The same summer of CyberMummy 2010 I also met up with a group of US/UK bloggers including my partner in crime Mike Harling, The American Resident and Smitten by Britain to name but a few. And what do you know, we're all still friends. I saw Micheloui (The American Resident) again this summer and we have since discovered we have Northumbrian connections in common (talk about a small world). Melissa (Smitten) offered to drive the 2 hours it would take to get to Washington DC to take care the Queenager, newly arrived at college and the potential victim of Hurricane Irene. Talk about friends.
And now I have another "stalker" in my house - in the form of Iota, no less. She's here to spend time with her brother C, who lives in Paris. How cosmopolitain are we? He's in Chicago for a conference and she's here to spend time with him and they're staying at my house and we're all having a jolly time. And wouldn't you know, old Charlie and I have a friend in common! ("Typical", as the Ball & Chain always says. "It's such a small island, how can you not all know each other?")
So here's to "virtual, bloggy" friendships. They're real after all!