Through the Looking Glass + Margaritas

On Wednesday night I had the pleasure of meeting up with my internet friend Jenna! Jenna, whom I found in the magical land of internet via Mrs. Inspired, also lives in the Philadelphia area, and once we realized that it was totally feasible for us to meet up in real life, it only took us about nine months to get our act together and, you know, actually meet up in real life. Well done, us.

So on Wednesday night, we each handed over our little ones to our husbands (in my case, the dogs, and in her case, an actual adorable little boy whom I'm now dying to baby-sit) and met up for margaritas. And you guys, it was perfect.

I've only met a handful of my blogging friends in real life, and each time, I am always really nervous. It's not that I'm worried they won't like me, per se; my friend Eleanor tells me I talk exactly like I write, so I assume that if we've made it this far, there won't be a personality clash when we meet for real. I suppose it's that I'm worried that they will be disappointed with what they get - that their image of me (Because duh, we all spend time daydreaming about Mary Frances, right? RIGHT.) will be different than what they expected - or, more specifically, that I will be a letdown and that they will think I am lame and boring. Or that we simply just won't click.

Naturally, therefore, in order to counteract these fears before I went on my blogging-blind-date, I turned to my closet and tried on approximately six different outfits before I went to go meet Jenna. Because she might think I'm boring, but DARN IT, at least I'll look cute. [Also, note to future self: you ended up wearing the first thing you tried on. As usual.]

As soon as we met up outside the restaurant, we hugged (and y'all! She was just my size! Mrs. Inspired and Jamie (and all my gorgeous lanky friends), you know I love you, but it was sooo nice not to feel like the awkward eight-year old dwarfed by her Adult Friends), said our hellos, and I immediately knew that it was going to be a great night; as I should have known, I had absolutely nothing to worry about.

You know you're with a blogging friend when she doesn't bat an eye when you take pictures of your drinks (that were in Mason Jars! Squeal!).

As we ordered margaritas and nibbled on chips, we sank into an easy, rhythmic conversation, and ended up talking effortlessly for two hours. Jenna told me how she finished her thesis WHILE SHE HAD A NEWBORN (gah!), and promised me that even if mine wasn't Very Good (which, ahem, is its current state of being), that I would get through it. And I believed her. We agreed that Philadelphia drivers are gremlins, and that Virginia is The Best State Ever. We talked about pregnancy, and families, and mothers-in-law, and how everyone north of the Mason-Dixon line thinks that It Is Weird that we are already married. We talked about feeling lonely and how, at the end of the day, it is hard to make friends in a new place. We talked about our husbands, and sparkly jewelry, and I picked her brain about her food processor (This is important stuff, people. Food processors are way expensive.). We sipped (the best ever) margaritas while the late evening heat hung around our heads and the sun began to set. A DJ started playing a few tables over without us even noticing. I lent her my copy of The Girl Who Played with Fire and we promised to get together again soon. I hope that we will.

Even though I don't get to see many of my blogging friends in real life often, I'm always tickled when I do. It's surreal - like taking a trip through the computer screen and back again. Wait? These are real people? Who have voices? That have intonations? And, wait - we can HUG? CAH-RAZY. I really shouldn't be surprised that I always have a good time when I see my blogging friends, but I always am. I think what's especially great for me is that we don't have to play "catch-up" with each other, because, as blogging friends - at least in my case - they already know about everything. When Jenna asked me how I was doing, it was awesome just to be able to jump right into the discussion - that is, to skip the backstory of the last few weeks, and just tell her how I was feeling right then. And I can't wait to do it again.