Why I love the internet

[hils]

I've been meaning to do a post like this for a while so now is as good a time as any. Since I first started coming online regularly (about 5 years ago) I've been blessed with meeting some truly amazing people. Not all of them have I been fortunate to meet in real life yet, but without them I think I would be a different person. So, in no particular order I want to mention the following

jacqui_hw: It still amazes me how things have turned out. It started when I e mailed her and asked her if I could archive one of her fics on my site. She then e mailed me her new ones and I posted them all because they were excellent. Finally we started chatting on IM and realised we didn't live that far away from each other. We thought about meeting up and finally Jacqui asked me if I wanted to go and see Ghost of the Robot with her. We met on the train and sort of chatted quietly before the gig. Then we met James. It was all down to Jacqui who spotted him when I was ready to leave. We had our photos taken with him and we both gushed all the way home and for a long portion of the night. Our friendship was sealed that day and we met up one weekend a month every time after that. Eventually we talked about getting a flat together and now here we are in the fangirl pad. Jacqui seems to be the one who gets me involved in new fandoms. She put me onto Sparrington, she told me about Orlando Bloom and Sean Bean which got me reading RPS and she is just generally fab

richess: Another one of my Buffy fandom friends who I love dearly. We don't really see each other online much these days but I know I can e mail her whenever I want and our friendship just carries on from where we left off. She was the first person I ever collaborated with on a fic, and we went on to write several together. She talked me into going to my first Buffy con, which later ended up being 2 cons and she is just such a generous person. She let me stay with her for a week, took me shopping in Toronto and talked me into buying my fab leather coat. I'm hoping to go back and see her next year

nam_melon: I think Fin was the first person I ever met in real life that I'd only known online previously. I met him through flickums and we quickly became great friends. I used to visit him a lot and soon got to know pretty much every pub in Harrogate very well. We went rowing on the river in Knareborough and generally had good times. I went to see the first Harry Potter film at the cinema with him and we spent many happy weekends vegging on his sofa drinking wine and watching Buffy and Angel. I remember being VERY impressed when he cooked me a roast chicken once and he does a fab breakfast. Again, I don't see him as often as I used to but when I do it's like we've never been apart. Love my giant, even if he calls me a munchkin. Grr!

padfoot_uk: Another person I met through flickums. We hit it off as soon as we met and it was then that the Marauder's were formed. We had a night of HEAVY drinking and then went to Alton Tower's the next day, all of us on painkillers. LOL. Sarah is like the big sister I never had and I love her for it. I can rely on her to tell me when I'm being stupid (which is quite often) and she often gives me sound advice when I'm fucking things up. I know that with Sarah I am guaranteed to have fun, and she's always got a hug available when one is needed. Love my Grebil

drbillbongo: I sometimes forget that I've actually only known Bill for a couple of months. She is just lovely! I found her journal on my FriendsFriends list and we had a few common interests and a few common friends so I added her to my flist. We've chatted on IM pretty much ever since. Bill humours all my crazy fandom interests and is a very talented artist. She blew me away with her Sparrington cartoons and the lovely Aragorn/Boromir wallpaper she made me. We like a lot of the same actors and a lot of the same films (apart from Craig Parker *snicker*). We haven't actually met in person yet but I think it's only a matter of time. I shall start planning something after the cruise *g* Love you, Bill :) Also, there was a theme of 'compliments' on heavenly_dorks and she posted this *blush*

underyourspell: Caz is without a doubt one of the most generous people I know. I'll post a mere mention of an icon I fancy and the next thing I know she's made me a whole bunch. When I couldn't get the design of my LJ to work she did the whole thing for me. She gives so much of her time to others I often feel bad that there aren't more things I can do in return. There aren't many people like her in the world and it's a richer place because of it. Haven't had the chance to meet her yet but hopefully that will be rectified soon