Jon is like an STD that gets passed around from person to person.
Charming, Nicholas. Maybe I should just refer to myself as HPV instead of MCD?
But, it's kinda true, I guess. The getting around bit... not the STD bit. Last year I ended up meeting 12 members/former members of PC. That was up from 0 in 2011! I took pictures of most of them as well, to prove I wasn't just making it all up! There are a few people who I'd like to meet of which it would be conceivable of me to do so; there are even more people who I'd like to meet of which it would be completely
inconceivable of me to do so - not going to Australia or the West Coast of the US any time soon, unfortunately... but I am going to Morocco in a month! Anyone? No? OK then. Below is the big list, with links to the photos, if I indeed took them:
- Sydian who already described our adventure in her post above
- Lightning, with whom I explored downtown Toronto, Niagara Falls and Waterloo, where I met her roomate: Aegis
- Morkula, with whom I ingested an ungodly amount of pancakes, wreaked havoc in a Wal-Mart, saw The Hunger Games, revolted at Applebees and saw cute baby seals
- Patchisou Yutohru, who already described our adventure in his post above
- Kura, Captain Fabio and Drakow, all of whom I've met multiple times now (and with different PC members along for the ride), but the first time was at MCM Comic-Con Expo, with all three being in crazy cosplay
- Vendak, with whom I watched Withnail & I, went to a pub, had a homemade dinner cooked for me, and danced like crazy to Elvis Presley
- Abnegation, who I've also met multiple times (and with more PC members along for the ride), and with whom I've definitely had my most crazy adventures with ;D
- Went, who already described our adventure in his post above, but forgot to mention all of the restaurant dinners I took him too. I wined and dined that boy like nobody's business!
- Counterfeit, the most recent victim of whatever STD I apparently am... from whom I learned lots about the differences between alcohol and marijuana!
He is super energetic and outgoing and funny, and he does a great hick impersonation.
Well, three of those four things are true. Although I make every effort to be outgoing, I'm actually kinda shy, especially when it comes to new people. One of the things that this last year has been really good at is building my confidence in talking to new people, and I kind of have everyone on this list to thank for that. Everyone was different in their own way, exposing me to new ideas and worldviews and challenging things I thought about people I'd only previously spoken to online. Make no mistake about it, talking to someone in the flesh is very different from forum chats, IMing and even video messaging. And, with that, came a little bit of awkwardness to each encounter. But, for the most part, people's true personalities revealed themselves (as well as some of their families!) and the awkwardness just melted away very quickly.
I'd definitely encourage doing it if you have the opportunity to do so. Just do a bit of research beforehand, and do it with people who you already have
some sort of connection with beforehand. 'Cause if you meet up and have absolutely nothing in common and have barely spoken to one another beforehand...
that will be awkward.
And
this has been a lecture and a half, so I'll leave it there. Toodles!