# Have you ever met up with online friends in real life?



## RagnarLothbrok (Dec 16, 2016)

As in, you met them online on a forum, chat room or whatever using your computer and decided to meet face to face (Not talking about romantic partners you met on dating sites). Are you still friends with them?

I haven't personally, because I've only ever had one online friend and she ghosted me last year.


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## greentea33 (Mar 4, 2014)

No. Never had an online friend.


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## Cletis (Oct 10, 2011)

Nope


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## scarpia (Nov 23, 2009)

Almost did once. But her friends convinced her that I might want to rape and kill her so she backed out.


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## TheWelshOne (Sep 29, 2013)

I haven't yet but I'm hoping to in the future.


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## Ominous Indeed (Sep 6, 2015)

To be honest I find it super weird I haven't met up with some of my online friends yet. We used to be this group of 6 people and we would talk everyday for for several years. Over the years one after the other fell out because of personal things in real life. The group got dissolved in the end, but I still have them all on my facebook and once in a while we still chat up. I have more contact with 2 of them, and I am sure I'll meet up with them eventually. It's just a matter of time. There isn't really anything that stops me from taking the train to visit one of them except for that he is living 8 hours away, and that the trip will cost roughly 200-300 hundred dollars.


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## meg14corvids (Sep 10, 2017)

No, most of my internet friends live in places that are pretty far away from me. My ex is meeting his girlfriend he met on social media in November though.


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## Wren611 (Oct 19, 2012)

We were friends first, so I think this counts, but I met my ex online (wasn't a dating site or anything related to finding a partner) and frequently visited each other.

There were a few other online friends I was planning to meet but nothing came of those plans. I'm no longer friends with anyone online though.


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## tehuti88 (Jun 19, 2005)

A woman I befriended on a now-defunct site, I got to meet her and her family twice. We went on day-long trips to a nearby island I love. I had a lot more fun than I thought I would (I assumed I would be too anxious to even talk to her the entire time ;_; ). She moved away though (she already lived in another state, but it was closer) and so I doubt we'll be able to meet again any time soon. :/

I'm still friends with her online...but I'm always so avoidant of writing to her, the last time was before my surgery last December. :sigh Honestly I don't know why she's put up with me so far.

...

There's someone from SAS who a couple of times has asked to meet me over coffee but it never works out. I was too chicken to reply to their last e-mail because I would _like_ to meet but I have no idea what I would say over coffee; at least with my online friend, we were actually doing something the entire time. I don't know what I could suggest for us to do that they would want to do, too. I feel sad about this because it'd be nice to have another friend, I don't have anybody else IRL to do anything with and so I don't do anything, just stay at home all day. :/

Doubt they're interested in meeting me anymore, anyway. -_-

...

I have no opportunities to meet with anyone else. I can't even make other friends online, much less meet them IRL.


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## Persephone The Dread (Aug 28, 2010)

I met up with someone to buy concert tickets off them once, and I also talked to some people on a forum before going to university, and then met up with them that weekend but nobody I considered a friend at the point I met up with them. 

To be honest though I've only really spoken to people who I only know online, for the last couple of years.


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## Furiosa (Jun 2, 2015)

I have, I first got chatting to somebody on a Facebook neighbourhood community group thing, and it turned out that we only lived like two minutes away from each other. We texted each other for a bit then one evening I invited them over for drinks. They accepted, came round and we really hit it off. That was about five years ago now and we have been bosom buddies ever since, we see each other at least once a week and have even been on several vacations together.


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## May19 (Apr 25, 2012)

One of my online friend from tumblr that I met in 10th grade (I'm a second yr in college now) lives 5 mins away from me now  We hang out a lot, and she's in her last yr of high school!


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## Ashli Danielle (Feb 15, 2017)

I want online friends, but I'm bad with keeping in touch. Its why I lost the irl ones I had. Also the thought of actually meeting up with them terrifies me.


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## Paul (Sep 26, 2005)

Many times with SAS friends via meetup... and I think just one online friend from elsewhere and via elsewhere, in 2001.


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## Nitrogen (Dec 24, 2012)

Yeah. I would love to again but nobody I talk with lives anywhere near me, which really sucks, because I would love to actually hang out with people that I connect with since I don't have friends here.


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## JH1983 (Nov 14, 2013)

Yes, all from another forum. One turned out to live close and we've hung out a few times. We still talk regularly. The other three are from other states and we all got together to compete at a powerlifting meet. We all still talk fairly regularly.


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## discoveryother (Sep 18, 2016)

not really. i met with some people from here once, but we weren't really friends. we didn't stay in touch. i don't have online friends.


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## Amphoteric (Sep 11, 2011)

I've met up IRL with 50% of my SAS friendslist


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## Scrub-Zero (Feb 9, 2004)

I met a girl on another anxiety site years ago. No magic or anything good to report. It was as awkward as you'd expect from two anxious people meeting for the first time.

She was super sweet though. We just didn't mesh well in real life.


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## tea111red (Nov 8, 2005)

n
o


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## QueenEtna (Aug 15, 2017)

Absolutely no way. I've countless of times had online friends ask to meet up or have in real life (world of warcraft) guild meet ups. Even people I dated online have asked for it but I always shut them down. People are crazy on the internet you honestly don't know who you're meeting.


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## Paul (Sep 26, 2005)

QueenEtna said:


> People are crazy on the internet you honestly don't know who you're meeting.


People show their crazy on the internet without fear, so you much more frequently get to know what you're meeting before you commit. In person, meeting people at school/work/public, the crazies put on a normal face and act like everybody else so you won't know they're crazy until you're in deep.


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## komorikun (Jan 11, 2009)

I've met with people I chatted a little bit with on messenger before meeting. I wouldn't call them online friends since I hadn't been chatting with them for months/years. 

There was only one person who I chatted with regularly for a significant period of time (over a year) before meeting. He actually came to pick me up from the airport and let me crash on his couch for over 2 weeks when I came back to America from abroad. Was supposed to be something romantic but I didn't feel much of an attraction. We stopped chatting online after I left his apartment. He is still a Facebook friend.


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## Mondo_Fernando (Jun 26, 2014)

Yes.


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## BAH (Feb 12, 2012)

Yep, met 3 ppl from here and still occasionally talk to them. 

The 1st 2 were traveling and were passing by my area so we hung out and walked around the city 

The other person lives in my city and goes to the same skewl as I do. Ended up dating for a bit and stuff.


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## Alpha Tauri (Mar 19, 2017)

No, but there's one I want to.


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## Red October (Aug 1, 2016)

A few, both romantically and just as friends. I've been to Europe and the US to meet some of them


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## Kilgore Trout (Aug 10, 2014)

nah
but there are some people on this site that I would certainly love to meet.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## cybernaut (Jul 30, 2010)

Only once as of this year from tripadvisor.com . A man on there offered to meet-up with me during my time in the Persian-Gulf region.

He was not a friend. But, he just wanted to help me get around the city and also hooked me up with a private driver to bring back/to a place I had to go to weekly. That country had limited public transportation, and I had no car. He didn't turn out to be anyone crazy either...just a very helpful local.

And, I guess you can consider AirBnB as a casual online meet-up service as well.I do those often.


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## TheWelshOne (Sep 29, 2013)

QueenEtna said:


> Absolutely no way. I've countless of times had online friends ask to meet up or have in real life (world of warcraft) guild meet ups. Even people I dated online have asked for it but I always shut them down. People are crazy on the internet you honestly don't know who you're meeting.


How do you date people online and not meet up with them?


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## Mur (Jan 20, 2011)

A few, back when I was on facebook.


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## RouteToHappiness (Sep 12, 2017)

Yes I have. Known her for a year now. We've only met a handful of times. Maybe 6 or 7 times.


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## TheFighterStillRemains (Oct 3, 2010)

yup and we're dating now. 
might be meeting up with another friend who's in my area and bringing empanadas lol


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## riverbird (Mar 30, 2016)

Yes, three, all when I was about 17. Only one was an actual 'friend' (not sure I'd call him an actual friend though, but the closest of the three), I had been talking to him since we were both 14. We met in a Yahoo chat room for people in our area. We don't talk anymore but we did see each other a few times.


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## tehuti88 (Jun 19, 2005)

TheWelshOne said:


> How do you date people online and not meet up with them?


I was going to ask that, but I worried that maybe I was being too old fashioned. ops

But yeah...wondering the same thing.

(This is actually one of many reasons I roll my eyes when people around here suggest I try online dating...not the main reason, but one of them. Even if I came across such a guy I'd never get to meet with him!)


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## TheWelshOne (Sep 29, 2013)

tehuti88 said:


> I was going to ask that, but I worried that maybe I was being too old fashioned. ops
> 
> But yeah...wondering the same thing.
> 
> (This is actually one of many reasons I roll my eyes when people around here suggest I try online dating...not the main reason, but one of them. Even if I came across such a guy I'd never get to meet with him!)


Lol, I could be being old fashioned too.

But as someone who was told categorically by a real life 'friend' that my online friendship with someone wasn't *real* and couldn't ever be as good as meeting someone in my area (and, in fact, was actually *hampering* my efforts at finding real friendships), I just assumed that most people wanted to meet up with anyone they spoke to online ASAP. Even more so while dating, I guess.


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## komorikun (Jan 11, 2009)

It's interesting how sometimes meeting someone that you had been messaging with for years somehow stops the communication. Like even with platonic type friendships.


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## greentea33 (Mar 4, 2014)

I would meet someone if I knew them and liked them. Im not against it.


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## PoroQueen (Nov 12, 2015)

Does having someone reach out to you on facebook because someone told them you might have similar interests and then actually going to meet count? Because I had a friend who did just that. She was friends with someone in my grade and I guess they told her I liked the same thing as her so she reached out to me. We ended up meeting at the local library with her grandmother present because stranger danger. I didnt have anyone to accompany me tho but they were nice enough. I was so anxious but she put me at ease with how cheerful and nice she was. And her grandmother was a sweetheart too. We ended up hanging out a bunch but she didn't live there but lived in the Marshall Islands so she could only visit once a year when they are booted from the island yearly for their mental health.  We were friends for a few years but unfortunately sorta lost contact once she went to collage. I would text her more but I'm afraid I'm a nuisance if she never contacts me first.


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## Crisigv (Aug 3, 2013)

Only two


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## roxslide (Apr 12, 2011)

Not really. I've gotten close a few times but chickened out. I don't know if this counts but my sister made a bunch of online friends that I interacted with as well (but they are her friends over mine) and met them and I eventually met one of her friends. She is pretty tight with my sister at this point and I've met her 3 times already and will see her at my sister's wedding in a couple months. We've tried to get to know each other and hang out on our own a few times but we always somehow miss each other lol.

I'm not against meeting new friends I make though.


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## WillYouStopDave (Jul 14, 2013)

I have a long time ago but they weren't really friends. 

I probably wouldn't now. I don't have a job. I don't have money. I have issues with going out even to the store. I have epilepsy. Am tied forever to pills and doctors. I don't fly. Our cars are in crappy shape. I don't trust the vast majority of people. Those I do like and trust probably have a better impression of me than they would if we actually met. I am not a sociable or pleasant person to be around IRL.


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## Chevy396 (Jul 10, 2017)

Yes I have, but I had to take lots of Valium.


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## gthopia94 (Dec 18, 2015)

No, but I'd like to one day (assuming that the said person is who they say they are).


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## Canadian Brotha (Jan 23, 2009)

Only one from here years ago


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## coldsorehighlighter (Jun 2, 2010)

I met one friend, that I made here on SAS. She hates me now. Well, actually, I don't think she hates me... it's worse than that, she doesn't care enough to hate me lol.


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## iAmCodeMonkey (May 23, 2010)

No.


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## UnintentionallyFunny (Sep 17, 2017)

It's how I met my 6 year girlfriend (and running). Don't underestimate the power of the internet!


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## TheInvisibleHand (Sep 5, 2015)

Amphoteric said:


> I've met up IRL with 50% of my SAS friendslist


It would be a privilege to meet you IRL,too bad i will never make it your sas friendlist  .


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## Clivy (Aug 13, 2017)

Nope, cause I'm just too cool for them!


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## Amphoteric (Sep 11, 2011)

TheInvisibleHand said:


> It would be a privilege to meet you IRL,too bad i will never make it your sas friendlist  .


Sorry, no non-binaries or girls.


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## cinto (Jun 19, 2017)

Just 1. Have been with him for 6 years. He's the funniest person I'll probably ever meet


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## Deaf Mute (Jun 12, 2017)

Once, but it was complicated, I'd like to meet some more people however.


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## TuxedoChief (Jan 11, 2015)

No, and I don't really want to.


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## Fun Spirit (Mar 5, 2014)

I met one. During that time I enjoyed it. Now I regret seeing the person. We no longer friends.


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## Sus y (Aug 30, 2017)

Not yet, but I could be open given the right circumstances.


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## Evo1114 (Dec 9, 2012)

I haven't (really). I went out (non-'dates') a couple times with a girl who I 'met' online...but I think it was probably more like we were talking TO meet up in real life since we were located so close and we both had similar 'issues'. It's not like something that built up for several years.


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## catcharay (Sep 15, 2011)

No, it would be cool though where I got to know them online and just fluidly continue friendship in rl but I haven't found a female friend where I could be fully honest in my expressions etc.


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## a degree of freedom (Sep 28, 2011)

A few times.


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## alienbird (Apr 9, 2010)

I met my ex on here, but we only met up a few times. I thought after we met things would have turned out differently. It sucks that someone I met on an anxiety site didn't seem to understand anxiety. Not too interested in trying to meet up with other people online for various reasons, mainly because it's mentally/emotionally taxing.


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## snarygyder (Oct 6, 2017)

I've met like 10 ppl from the internet. Lost contact with most of them, but they were all cool irl.


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## potato420 (Oct 11, 2017)

I have never had an online friend, but it would be kind of good to have one and eventually meet him or her in person. being safe. especially for someone with SA, because it is hard to make friends for us from the beginning face to face. It would also be amazing to have a friend who thinks like you and understands your situation. I personally would meet up with an online friend you know just making sure its "safe".


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## Virgo (Jun 27, 2016)

Yeah multiple times, actually. Mostly people from SAS. I've met some people from a game before, though. I've yet to meet the longest online friend I've had though (10+ years), who lives in Michigan.

I'm still friends with some of them.


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## RickandMorty100years (Oct 6, 2017)

I've had lots of online friends through the years but I've never gotten to meet any of them unfortunately, we've always lived in different states. 

I'm surprised that so many of you have met up with online friends before, good for you guys! Gives me hope that maybe I can do it one day too


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## A Void Ant (Mar 10, 2012)

I find the results surprising. Nope, never have.


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## scooby (Jun 24, 2009)

Yes. A lot of people. Some only once. Others a few times. 1 a whole bunch of times.


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## 8888 (Oct 16, 2014)

No, mostly because I haven't found anyone who lives local.


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## Newbeginings23 (Oct 12, 2017)

I haven't but I know a few of my friends have met their current partners and/or friends online.


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## AllieG (Feb 20, 2014)

I've met my 2 closest online friends a few times and another not-so close online friend once. It was fun. I wish I had the money and the means to meet other online people.


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## thisismeyo (Feb 15, 2013)

I met a few friends before. I'm only still friends with one of them though.


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## Kandice (Jan 26, 2017)

I met up with people from OKCupid, idk if that counts. But I never kept in touch with them...so I basically met them once and never talked to them again.

If I had any friends near me then I probably would meet up with them, but I don't. Loner for life!


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## misumena (Oct 18, 2017)

Only once. Back when Myspace was a thing I friended and starting chatting with a guy who later became my boyfriend. Although things ended badly (he cheated on me with a coworker), I was not sorry that I did it. He and I had great chemistry in the beginning. Would have remained friends with him if not for the cheating bs.


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## darkangel (Apr 19, 2005)

Met my current boyfriend 7 years ago on this site


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## rockyraccoon (Dec 13, 2010)

I went out with some fellow SAS users a few years ago and enjoyed it, but I kind of was nervous so I did not pursue anything further than that. My anxiety as it stands would not preclude me from meeting an online friend, provided the distances were not to great.


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## Kevin001 (Jan 2, 2015)

darkangel said:


> Met my current boyfriend 7 years ago on this site


Oh wow


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## Scrub-Zero (Feb 9, 2004)

darkangel said:


> Met my current boyfriend 7 years ago on this site


I remember your name from way back, and your boyfriend too. He seemed like a nice dude. Glad you guys are still kicking together. That's cool.


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## Arbre (Mar 9, 2014)

I don't do it too much anymore, but I have met a bunch of online friends. I've spent the day in the city with two friends I met on SAS and I had a good time and liked them a lot.


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## jbphillips2001 (Mar 7, 2017)

I met a few different folks back in the pre-myspace/facebook age around when I was 20ish. These were all folks my age with similar interests, and for the most part, we all got along just fine. Of course, we always brought a friend with each of us to be to safe.


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## SD92 (Nov 9, 2013)

Twice

One guy from a chat room, we met in a pub and had a drink

Another from an internet forum, we met up and a had sex in hotel rooms and I went back to her flat


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## Sus y (Aug 30, 2017)

darkangel said:


> Met my current boyfriend 7 years ago on this site


Awww! So cute! 



UnintentionallyFunny said:


> It's how I met my 6 year girlfriend (and running). Don't underestimate the power of the internet!


I agree with this. I think if the other person it's not too pushy hurry you to meet and stuff like that, internet can be a good way to met people.


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## Crisigv (Aug 3, 2013)

I kinda wish I had someone to meet up with. Even though I suck at it, I need to socialize.


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## funnynihilist (Jul 29, 2014)

Yes I have


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## The Notorious D.B.L (Aug 2, 2016)

I've only managed to meet one SA person over the years. I've tried to meet others but they never go through with it.

I'm sick of my SA and other peoples. 

I want to be normal and meet normal, reliable people.


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## Chris S W (Mar 5, 2017)

No, I couldn't do that to either of them.


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## alienbird (Apr 9, 2010)

Hoping to meet someone from here again. 

But who knows? 
It's nice to dream, ya know.


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## bad baby (Jun 10, 2013)

i met a girl i talked to from a gaming forum last year or the year before, when i went back to visit the country where i grew up over Christmas, and we hung out a few times and hit it off. i messaged her again after i got back to jpn where i was living at the time, but she never replied, and i kind of forgot about her after a while too. it's hard to keep a momentum going across a geographical divide.

I'd be keen to meet a few people I'm friends with on this site, but most seem to shrink away at the prospect of an actual friendship (as opposed to just occasionally shooting the sh-t on the internet).


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## Scrub-Zero (Feb 9, 2004)

bad baby said:


> I'd be keen to meet a few people I'm friends with on this site, but most seem to shrink away at the prospect of an actual friendship (as opposed to just occasionally shooting the sh-t on the internet).


We're all a bit cowardly I guess. I'd like to meet someone from here and hang out, maybe build a friendship. But it's hard to find someone close enough. And when you factor in anxiety+personal struggles etc, then it's pretty much close to zero chances.


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