Meeting someone for the first time.

LegacyUser

Hi,

I don't want to bore anyone by going into major detail but I'm meeting up with a good friend for the first time this weekend. We became friends randomly (contributing bits and pieces to an Irish website/blog). There was a group on Facebook that you had to join in order to be allocated jobs etc., and she was the only other person writing for the blog who was the same age at the time (17) so we became friends overtime. That was three years ago and now we're quite close.

Although we're close we never met up, there was never any reason to really. Now I'm living in Dublin for the summer and she's coming up to go to an event so we said we'd meet up earlier in the day for a chat and some lunch, just generally hanging around.

The problem is I'm a bit nervous, I'm worried that we won't be comfortable around one another or that we won't gel. Everyone is different in person. I don't want to ruin our friendship or make things awkward, although it would be great to talk to her in person, it just feels slightly weird. Was anyone ever in a similar situation who could offer some advice? Thanks!

Dutchess

I was yes. When I was younger I contributed actively to a forum not unlike Boards and I got chatting on a thread with this guy, that turned to PM-ing and PM-ing turned to IM-ing (ah, back in the day when MSN messenger was still cool!). That went on for some time and then there was this festival we both wanted to go to. He went with his girlfriend and I went with my best friend and we would meet up there. I was still nervous though because this guy had become a mate and what if it was weird?

It wasn't. We got on like a house on fire, chatting away immediately. (It got weird after because we met up more and more, and we fell in love while he still had the GF and I got another boyfriend at the same time as well. Nevertheless once we were both available we went out for 6 months until I went to Ireland. It was amicable and he came to my wedding.)

I've met other people from online too. Generally it's cool. Only less pleasant ones were if we hadn't gotten to know each other online that well beforehand and/or they tried to hit on my straightoff....

As long as you are yourself online and you will be yourself then, and she will do the same, you'll be fine! Have fun!

RhubarbCrumble

From personal experience I think it'll go great. A few years ago I was on a fashion website. It was US based, but had people from all over the world on there. 3 years ago a group of us met up in the UK, and myself and one of the other girls got on really well. She had family in Ireland, so last year when she came over to see them we met up again and earlier on this year I went over to London to stay with her for a weekend.
I was a bit nervous as this time it was just going to be the two of us and I was staying in her apartment, but it we got on great and I had a brilliant weekend. Hopefully she'll be able to come over to me before the year is out, so don't worry op. I'm sure it'll all go fine

Raminahobbin

It'll be fine, it's totally understandable to be nervous but you don't need to worry. You know the person. I was in the same boat with a guy I met online- we became friends and it was 5 years of online chatting before we met. I was a WRECK on the day, but within 5 minutes it was totally normal and we got on great.

2 years on from the first meeting and we've only met a handful of times more, but it's always relaxed and easy because I DO know the guy.

Chances are it'll be the same for you

Stavro Mueller

Have you spoken to your friend on the phone or on Skype? If you have, that'll make things a lot easier when you meet in person.

Tabitharose

I was involved in two discussion boards that focused on an area that I'm very interested in, started off around 11 years ago, fast forward to last year, and I became the god mother to my best friend's daughter (who I originally got in touch with, and chatted to, a lot, on those boards, before meeting in person)