Internet Friends

My "in real life" (hereinafter, "IRL") friends used to tease me for having "Internet friends," but now they're eating their words because my "Internet friends" are just plain "friends" now! In fact, some of my IRL friends have told me that they wish they had the good relationships I've made through The Knot.

Getting to know people over the Internet can seem like a strange thing, but I've discovered that people are pretty much the same IRL as their online personas. Brazen, outspoken posters tend to be brazen, outspoken people IRL. Shy, less frequent posters are quieter people IRL. Funny posters are funny people IRL. Stupid posters are stupid people IRL. It's not exactly rocket science.

I feel really lucky to have made the friends I've made. In fact, I invited a handful of my best knottie friends to our wedding! Below are Wan-nabe, trisharenee316, me, Nannersp, and Pea&Bee.

Recently, we had a fabulous holiday GTG. We did a $25 Secret Santa gift exchange, as well as a $5 White Elephant gift exchange. The White Elephant portion of our brunch was especially entertaining. Gifts ranged from

• the practical (a gift card to Starbucks, gift card to Coffee Bean),
• the whimsical (a Hello Kitty mousepad -- my buy!),
• the delicious (yummy Japanese snacks like Pocky),
• the dirty (a book called Penis Pokey, featuring a strategically placed hole in every page),
• the amusingly bizarre (Christmas ornament with a biker dude on top),
• to the absolutely hilarious (ceramic liquid soap dispenser in the form of...an African-American Santa Claus!).

We laughed so much that day! I can't wait until the next GTG!