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# What happens when online strangers meet IRL? 

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A few weeks ago, the stars aligned and a few steemians meetup in sunshine Florida. Most of us had chatted with each other online and were at least familiar with one another. Everyone has been back home and I miss them.

> Come back to me you wonderful strangers!

In the mist of missing them I started to think about this random group of strangers I met in real life. As this is the first online community I've been a part of, I wonder if you have done the following? 
* Have you spent hours chatting with a group of people online? 
* Spent hours collaborating in group projects, vision casting, and sharing life with one another? 
* Do you remember the first time you heard their voice? 
* First time you video chatted? 
* First time you met them in real life?

# The pre meetup ~~fears~~ feels

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Exciting, nerve-racking, and all the other feels start to surface at the mention of a real life meet up with online friends. Like reading a book, your mind creates this image of the people you chat with. If you’re like me, you start to wonder if every passing stranger isn’t an online friend? 

You associate them with certain colors, music, and avatars. You start wondering if they are tall, if they are pale, or if they look like their picture? Sometimes you learn about their drinking habits, smoking habits, or other habits that help you shape your view. Other times you have no frame of reference, but aren’t surprise by them when you met them. 

> Other times you are shocked.

# Then you meetup

And all is well in the world. As you all have read and seen we had a FANTASTIC Florida meetup. Our friends came and went, and I miss them dearly. I often think about the group dynamic. How we are all so odd, so similar, and so silly! We come from all different walks of life, backgrounds, and future goals. Yet a single blogging platform brought us all together. A non-hugger asked for hugs. She even asked for more than one. All the normal chatters chatted. Even the quiet ones spoke out of turn a time or two. 

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# What if we lived closer?

My best friends and I joke about living next door to one another. If only we could agree on which state that would be. Nowadays, I wonder what it would be like if all us steemit friends lived closer to one another? Would we chat less online? Would we write less?

> I doubt it?

I think not, we would all just travel more together. Write about each others oddness. Become professional selfie takers and probably do a weekly radio show. Do you ever wonder about your online friends IRL? Have you been a part of an online community before that is similar to the group of people you've met on steemit? Have you meetup with steemians? If not have you heard of [Hots or Shots is seeking steemians in Florida, Georgia, North & South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas & Louisiana](https://steemit.com/steemit/@jonny-clearwater/hots-or-shots-is-seeking-steemians-in-florida-georgia-north-and-south-carolina-alabama-tennessee-mississippi-arkansas-and#@jonny-clearwater/re-grey580-re-jonny-clearwater-hots-or-shots-is-seeking-steemians-in-florida-georgia-north-and-south-carolina-alabama-tennessee-mississippi-arkansas-and-20180403t152156472z)?


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