Meeting Online Friend

Hey Guys,
I made a few weeks back asking for advice about an ‘obsession with an online friend’since then our online friendship has gone further, and I have been contemplating meeting her in person. The only problem is, I live in England and she lives in America so there is quite a bit of distance.

We both wish to meet, but the travel requirements make this quite a big issue. I was wondering, how do you guys view meeting 'online friends' in general?

Don't bother!

Original post by Anonymous

I wouldn't bother at all. You're wasting your money and your time

Reply 3

Anonymous #3

I have met up with several people from online, and some have become great friends who I've known for years, while others I didn't contact again after an awkward first meeting.

I met both my current and prevous boyfriends online. With my ex, we were chatting for about a month before we couldn't ignore how well we got on (we were up until 5am chatting online and on the phone quite regularly). We met up halfway between our hometowns, and had a wonderful day out/first date. I still remember it as one of the best days of my life, even though we're no longer together.

With my current boyfriend, I didn't know him long at all before we met up in person, so the build up to a relationship all happened in real life.

My general rule for meeting up with an online contact, is always to meet in a public place, tell someone where I'm going etc. Obviously between America and the UK it becomes much more difficult to meet up, but you never know, it could be the best thing you ever did!

Reply 4

PinkMobilePhone

Volunteer Team

I see no problem with meeting online friends. As it happens I met my husband online initially and we arranged to meet up one day.....well as I say he's my husband now lol.

Reply 5

The_Jammy_Witch

Right, so by friend, y'all mean potential boyfriend/girlfriend.

I met someone off here recently and we're buddies now :smile:

it wasn't a guy either. Meeting online friends is cool if you're on the same page and tend to write similar posts, but I'd only do it for genuine FRIENDS, and not dating/shag prospects.

Original post by Anonymous

Yeah but you're a girl. Its different for guys.

Reply 8

dgeorge

Original post by Anonymous

The whole "different country" issue makes it VASTLY different than say, if you took a train from Liverpool to Birmingham to meet.

Personally, I wouldn't go to another country, ESPECIALLY across an entire ocean, to meet someone who I've never met in person before. Sure, I MAY arrange a visit to do/see other things, but if my sole motive to go to that country was to meet that person, I probably wouldn't bother.

Of course, I see nothing wrong with making friends online, OR meeting online friends and take a couple hours train/bus ride to see them.

Reply 9

pinkangelgirl

ive met several people from tsr, several people from dating sites- all have become friends. Some of them im really close to.

but saying that we lived in the same city, so it was easy. i probably wouldnt if they lived really far away unless id known them for years and happened to be going that way anyway.

Reply 10

Anonymous #1

Thought I'd better have some input. After she told me where she lived I did some research in to the area and put together a holiday plan, obviously factoring her in to it. If I go now, it won't be purely to meet her, and she is the prompt for the holiday.

Thanks

Reply 11

defrule

Used to play this game online with a guy. We used voice chat and stuff for the game and turns out we're both chinese.

He was taking his sister to Edinburgh for an open day and I went down from St Andrews to hang out for a few drinks. Class day.

Reply 12

RichyFrench

Meet exactly in the middle, it's only fair.

Reply 13

fl4mers

My first trip abroad by myself was to meet someone I was chatting to online *grin*. I was 17 at the time living in the UK and he lived in Singapore where I went to visit him. We'd had a 6 month-ish "online relationship" type thing but then dropped that and decided to go for friends. It was an interesting experience and he was exactly like I thought he'd be, but I have to say we'd been chatting pretty constantly for about 3 years before we met so I knew him pretty well by the time we actually met up. That was almost 8 years ago now though and we're still friends. We don't really talk all that much anymore but we send each other the occasional facebook comment and if I ever end up in Singapore I'll be sure to look him up.

I'd say if you're actually interested in this girl though stay in contact online for a while longer and get to know her more before you go see her. Webcam, email and maybe play online games with each other. You can actually get to know them pretty well like that and if you're still chatting 6 months to a year from now then sure, why not go see her. It'll probably be worth it then because you will have built up an actual substantial "relationship" whether in friendship or otherwise. Or if you happen to be in America for kicks look her up haha... that'd be the other option.