Lifestyle

Guest Post: How to Transition Internet Friends into IRL Friends

How to Transition Internet Friends into IRL Friends in 12 Easy Steps! 

The Story of Amanda and Lindsay’s Friendship
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Step 1: Being in relative close proximity helps. 

-Did I move to London because Amanda was there? No. That’d be creepy. But we were bloggers that had both lived the expat life in London and I headed back to get my MA after first studying abroad in London ten years prior. 

Step 2: Ask for favors. 

-And I don’t mean sexual ones. Because again, don’t be creepy. Also, that might be illegal. Consult with your local officers of law. I asked for tips on my visa process and Amanda obliged. She actually saved me from a nervous breakdown over it. If she happens to introduce me to my future British husband, I’ll basically owe her sexual favors. UNTIL THEN, I’ll continue to be an awesome friend. 

Step 3: Attend the same events. 

-This sounds nice. I did not do that. I was just highly aware of Amanda’s online presence. When I was out walking around Covent Garden I passed her randomly on my very first day back in London. I knew what she looked like because of her blog photos. I was able to DM her on twitter to let her know I thought I saw her likeness pass me by. She confirmed it had been her and we exchanged phone numbers. Note: This seems like ‘light stalking’.  For some people, there may be a fine line. I’m sorry to say that dudes most certainly cannot get away with this. Again, consulting with your local law enforcement officials is encouraged, especially if you think you may be even close to crossing that line. I wasn’t because I’m really nice, am awkwardly open about everything, smell good, and my mom is my biggest fan of my blog. That definitely verifies me as not a crazy person.

Step 4: Organize a meet up! Remember to tell an IRL friend your whereabouts in case your Internet friend turns out to be a serial killer. 

-Amanda and I met over coffee for the first time. Coffee is a safe bet. And if you’re living in the UK, it’s a great way to tell if you’re really meeting an American. Cause what American would invite you to meet for a cup of tea? Probably the one that is an English serial killer. Hey, I’m not here to scare you, I’m just here to help save lives. 

Step 5: When you’ve vetted them as not a serial killer, or even a one-time murderer, invite them to your home!

-Actually, I was quite surprised when Amanda invited me to have dinner with her and Sam at their flat after our initial coffee date. I told my flat mate, bought some wine, and headed on my way over in my red riding hood. No actually I was probably dressed head-to-toe in black and I don’t think I told anyone but my mom. To be honest with you, whenever I tell my mom I’m meeting anyone from the Internet, her response is generally: ‘is she from that area? No? Well she can’t be a serial killer. I’ve seen a lot of Criminal Minds and serial killers always kill close to home.’ (My mom, while possibly using misleading source material, may also be a little sexist. She thinks making new female friends online is awesome, but boys are off limits. Nobody tell her about that time I went on a date with a guy I knew from Twitter. He lived in London but wasn’t from there, so definitely not a serial killer.)

Step 6: Share all the embarrassing secrets over too much wine. Make new friends feel a little sad for you and want to adopt you into their lives.

-All me here. I’m an over sharer in the best of times, but add new friend nervousness plus alcohol and HERE ARE ALL MY SECRETS. I’d make a terrible criminal. But basically, I have enough ridiculous stories from my life that I’m like a walking HELP WANTED ad. People want to give me advice and I want to take it.

TL;DR

Have a friend online? Lightly encourage meeting up, meet up safely, have some alcohol maybe, share some stories, bond over shared secrets, don’t be creepy or a murderer and voila! REAL LIFE FRIENDS!

I think our story can be summed up as: I met Amanda on the Internet, I am very wise, and Amana and Sam are very wise for having me in their lives. It is very wise to make friends on the Internet. Especially if they are not living in their hometowns, and therefore cannot be a serial killers (when in doubt, consult your local law enforcement. Also I am not liable for anything I write on the Internet. I think.)

The end.

xxLindsay 

>>> Thank you so much to Lindsay a) for writing this and b) for being my friend. Lindsay was a bridesmaid this past weekend, and I couldn’t have hope for a better one. For more of her awesome writing, you can find her at her blog, Random Acts of Drama. You can also find her on twitter and instagram.

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