The real payoff: Meeting Beth in person

/ August 24, 2016

I feel as if I’ve known Beth from I Didn’t Have My Glasses On forever. She’s been my friend in BloggyVille forever, one of the first people I met on WordPress, a writer of special note, a photographer of fine image, a person of great wit, a person fun and smart and easy to be around.

I only knew her through the Internet until this Sunday.

We’d struck a chord reading each other’s work, discovering that we were born in the same year, followed our college sports teams passionately, rooted for Triple-A baseball squads. So we’ve placed some friendly blogger wages that you’ve been able to read about here and also at her place. (Yeah, I’ve won. No rubbing it in, though.)

Last week Beth emailed me with the good news that her brother was getting married in Woodstock, N.Y., meaning that she was coming east for the big day and a few around it. Her travel plans included a short time through my hometown of Syracuse. Would a meeting be possible?

Beth, me and my dear wife Karen outside the Limp Lizard.

Beth, me and my dear wife Karen outside the Limp Lizard.

You betcha.

She kept me updated about her traveling woes. When push came to shove, she had to take a Greyhound bus the three hours northeast from the wedding spot to catch her plane at the Syracuse airport. That left enough time for us to meet her at the bus station and grab a bite to eat before taking her to Hancock International.

Beth and Karen in the Limp Lizard.

Beth and Karen in the Limp Lizard.

I chose the Limp Lizard, a barbecue joint a block away from my new work spot at the Liverpool Public Library. It was good and convenient.

We talked, laughed, felt as natural as old friends meeting face-to-face for the first time can be.

Beth called us her Uber drivers. She brought us a nifty refrigerator magnet from Detroit. When we go meet her in Michigan, she’s going to get something cool from here.

BloggyVille is a wonderful place if you let it be. The list of other bloggers I’ve met is small but growing. Every encounter has left me smiling.

Have you met bloggers from out-of-state or country, and if so, who and how did it go? If not, who would you like to meet, and why? If you don’t want to meet any other bloggers, why not?

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41 thoughts on “The real payoff: Meeting Beth in person”

  3. I love it! How cool is that Mark? I have met one or two bloggers in person and in the next couple of weeks, along with two other Calgary bloggers, I will be meeting another from Australia! It’s been true for me too, that when you have been reading someone’s blog, meeting them in person feels like catching up with an old friend. ❤
    Diana xo

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  5. This is exactly how I picture the three of you, “tres amigos!” 🙂 🙂 🙂 A triple dipped ice cream banana split.
    By the way, Karen looks really healthy and “fit” in this photo. Has she been following your special diet, Mark!? (I remember how you lost weight last year) Tell her she looks great. . .

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  6. I had friends from Wisconsin stop by over 4th of July on their way to Maine. I took them to Heid’s, because, well, Heid’s. I sent her family on their way her two bags of salt potatoes for her next stop, because what goes well with lobster and melted butter? Salt potatoes.

    She brought us gifts, too- I was squealing with delight when I opened her little gift bag- a Toasted Cheese Sandwich flavored lip balm! Hilarious!

    Excellent regional gifting, I love it.

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  7. Very cool! I love meeting my Blogland friends in person. 😀 I’m up to 6 now: three I met here in Ontario and three I met in Japan, two of which were Canadians. Whenever I make it down to the US, I’ll definitely make the rounds.

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  9. It’s always special, Mark. Good for you.☺ We get to know these folks so well from their words. It’s a treat to meet up in person. Hoping that we can all pull off a U.S. blogger’s meet in Chicago, as planned for 2017. Fingers crossed. ☺

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