5 years ago I broke up with my then boyfriend, now husband...moved out, got my own apartment and got bored at night. I googled, on the internet jacked from my neighbor, and looked for a way to fuel my never-ending love of baby names...I kid you not in middle school and high school I had a list of names I loved for future babies.
I found babyzone.com
(Almost) 4 years ago I became pregnant with my daughter and found a DDC (due date club -July 2007) thought it was cool to chat with these ladies in the same place of life since my 'real life' friends were not. Little did I know I would become hooked, checking hourly, half hourly, sometimes every 5 minutes to see who was posting what and what was going on. It became a great outlet.
(Sometime around) 3 years ago I was emailed by a couple of the girls from the site looking for a buddy to lose all the baby weight with...the emails developed into more than just a weight loss discussion and check in and became a friendship.
2 months ago I met one of the friends from that email chain, we met in Chattanooga, TN a 4 hour drive for both of us and a well spent trip. We hung out at a hotel, visited the Discovery Museum, had dinner and ice cream and ventured through the Aquarium...it was for lack of a better word, AMAZING! We chatted like old friends, never a dull moment or an awkward feeling, it was as if I'd known this person my whole life. Our kids hit it off like two peas in a pod making it even more fun.
Yesterday we hung out again, this time picking a pumpkin patch in the middle of Alabama again about a 3.5 hour drive for each of us...we had a ball! We must have, I took 187 pictures...don't worry I won't bore you with the lot just a few of the fun :) oh and I tried Fried Pie, not as wonderful as it should have been according to my fabulous Southern Friend, the filling was good though...will have to try it again somewhere different this time!
talking to the geese...we laughed and laughed at them honking at the goose!
Posing, love this kid too much sometimes. Climbing up the inflatable slide...I think they would have stayed on this all day if we'd let them!
Face painting!! She was all set on a butterfly until she saw the ballons...she LOVES ballons!
Three gorgeous kids, not one looking at the camera...
Loving the hay!
Fried peach pie...it was...different...
My husband constanly calls these ladies I've met online my 'internet' friends and thinks its a big joke...what he
doesn't get is these ladies ...while I have only met 5 of them in person, each time was a wonderful experience and we ALL chatted like grand ole friends who've know each other forever...are my dear friends, the ones who keep me sane, who 'get' me, who support me, who know me inside and out. That the friendships I've developed over the internet have been a saving grace to me.
Since the joining of babyzone to the further connection on facebook to the phone calls and texts to the face to face meetings I have bonded with these ladies, they are my real life friends.
Thank you internet for bringing me friends all over the states and the world into my living room daily, into my life!
