Keeps Getting Smaller

The world, right? It seems so big when you look at maps, or the globe or read history books. But when you sit down at your computer everything just keeps shrinking. You can have friends from all over the world. Friends that you didn't meet when you were a student abroad, not friends that you met on Holiday. Friends that you've probably never seen. Honestly though, some of them seem like I've known them for long periods of time. It's so weird, right?

Not only new friends that you "hang" with. Old old friends. Some that perhaps you kind of forgot they ever even existed. Until they "friended" you on facebook that is. Or until you "friended" them after you saw them on someone else's friend list. It's so crazy. People just come out of the woodwork.

And the best part is the friends that you have always stayed connected to but live far away. When we were kids it would have been a phone call every few months or so, or an actual letter. This is crazy, stay with me, but when I was I kid I got out my Hello Kitty stationary and wrote stuff down with a writing implement. It's so weird. I can't even imagine it now. I have a whole box of letters from summer friends and summer camp and summer boyfriends from 9th grade on professing their undying love that were hand written. The only proof of them sits in my basement. Not on the internet for anyone to hack into. What was my point? Oh yes, so I can correspond with my best friend who lives across the ocean and through the woods and with a 7 hour time difference every single day. I know exactly what is going on in her life at all times. Probably better than I know what my friends around here are doing. Because of the internet.

So last night my world got a little bit smaller again. I got to meet IRL (that's In Real Life for those of you who don't know :)) some of my internet friends. All photographers. I just got lucky enough to stumble upon their path cause of one of my bestest college friends, photographer extraordinaire Jami. I started on Flickr to keep in touch with her and our own personal President, Kathy. Then I "met" some others who I just loved. We all met last night in my town and hung out. It was so much fun. There were accents and jokes and some fabulous hosting abilities by the most insanely awesome Ralph. If it wasn't for those pesky predators and my eleven year old IM-ing into all hours of the night (which I stopped) I would totally love the internet. Now I just kind of love it cause of those little details.