internet friends

I have had a Tumblr since 2009 and since then I have met so many amazing people through blogging there. When I was growing up, the internet was relatively new and there were definitely things to be worried about - creepy men on MySpace, that sort of thing. But despite having friendships with people who turned out to be, in fact, posing as someone else, I have managed to meet some of my best friends. It's insane that a website could bring me to people from Canada, Massachusetts, Virginia, Holland, England - the list goes on. I haven't met everyone from Tumblr that I'd like to, but I've been lucky enough to meet a few people and it might seem weird to people who don't have internet friends, but to me it's an amazing way to meet people from around the world who share your interests and, if you're lucky, have put a real, honest version of themselves out there.

If you have friends from Tumblr, YouTube, Blogspot, wherever, and you trust that person and are sure that they're real (seriously, be sure, okay?) I highly recommend meeting them in person. It's likely that it will feel like you've been friends for ages, and I can honestly say my friends from Tumblr are easier to be around than my friends in real life sometimes.

These are just a few of my internet friends - I've been lucky enough to meet Ryan twice (once in Stuttgart where I live and once in Amsterdam where she lives, top left and bottom right), Anna in Virginia (bottom left) and Dacey (this was actually today! Top right) at my university today. I have felt so at ease meeting my internet friends and while it definitely seems a bit weird to the people in my life who have never done it before, I would always be up for meeting up with someone I've connected with on Tumblr. These people are some of my best friends and I'm so glad I actually have taken the leap and met up with some of the most wonderful people I've ever met!