I don’t have anything against meeting people you know online. That’s how I met my husband after all, but I do think that people trust each other easier over the internet than in real life. I also think that just because the person seems good, it doesn’t mean they are good so it’s important to keep that in mind and to always meet in a public place.

My city’s the same way, there isn’t much to do around here or by my parents, where I spend a lot of time too. In Canada there’s a bunch of clubs, but the problem with that is that 90% of the people in them are stupid drunk Americans. Over in the States there’s not really much to do, but go out to the mall of something. There are however a lot of good concerts around here so that’s a plus.

When I go to a new city, I like to just relax. Going to a show/concert or something like that is something you could do. It would all depend on what you both are into though. I try to catch a concert if I go somewhere because I like to be around different people, I also like going to small cafés and unique shops. If you have a skate shop that’s unique around there that could be something to look into. I don’t know, I’m not too good at suggesting things. ^-^;

I've met two people from Gaia already, and they're on Menewsha as well. They're both very good friends, and I don't even consider them "online friends" anymore. Amari Tsuki and Sagando Mirasta.

We won't go into the whole story that I met my fiance online, and both of our families are in love with one another. Everything pieced together so perfectly that it's too sugary to talk about. :b

That said, while I'm a firm believer that not everything online is scary, my friend has been through hell. He used to live here until he graduated high school, and since then he's lived in a few different US states. He's always been keen on meeting online individuals because his work schedule is always so hectic. He flies everywhere and isn't home all that often.

But, he's been robbed before, he's been degraded before, and a lot of other things from various online strangers that I shouldn't get into.

I will say flat out, though, that he's always had no qualms in meeting someone online and then scheduling a real-life encounter the same evening. I couldn't do it. ._. That, I feel, is very dangerous.

I've met tons of internet friends in real life. So many, in fact, that I could not even give you an actual number. When I first started meeting online friends in real life, I would always meet in a public place with many people around, and carry a knife in my purse, just in case. But over the years I've become less paranoid about it. I still meet in public places, and usually with other people with me, but I don't carry a weapon anymore.

But meeting online friends rarely goes anywhere after the initial meeting... at least for me. We meet once, maybe a few times... That's it... It's never something that turns into a "hang out all the time" kind of relationship. I have online friends I've had for nearly a decade... and I still just think of them as online friends... even the ones I met a few times. I'm very picky on the whole "friend" thing... If someone is going to be called a friend, for me... I have to honestly think of them as such. Just because I get along with them doesn't mean they are my friend. I have to know I can trust and rely on them... They have to be someone I can confide in and someone who will be there for me. Online friends just never seem to be able to fit all the requirements... Not that most people I know in real life can either ^.^;

This topic fits me all too well...

I'm not gonna explain the whole story, unless you guys are really interested in hearing it.

But I'm currently in an "online" relationship with a guy I've known for two years. I talk to him on the phone and we text each other constantly outside of the internet. When I first met him it was through RPing so it wasn't a chatroom like situation with cyber involved like you see on those CNN stories.

In about a month he plans to get an apartment up in my town. I'm really nervous and excited about it. I love the guy for who he is, obviously. But I've always had that little doubt in the back of my mind from all the warnings and such - "How do I know he's real? I've never met him in person before, etc..."'

And with the predators bit, I'm kinda scared a bit if he is one. He's a military guy and was in a special unit of the Israeli military because of his expertises in fighting so yeah... Little me against that in a fight is not a comforting thought...

So yeah. x-x