In less than 12 hours from now, I'm supposed to meet a local blogger in person.At about one o'clock this afternoon, I'll be at Coupa Cafe, a few blocks away from Stanford University campus, sipping a frothy cup of Latte. I might be too distracted to fully appreciate the handpicked, sun-dried Arabica beans from Venezuela the cafe is known for. I'll be anxiously scanning the horizon for a familiar face, which I've only seen in photographs.
There's a chance that I might recognize her from her shoes. Her burgandy wingtips, brocade pumps, and kneehigh boots are a regular feature in her posts. I've come to know a number of them quite well; I might be able to spot them from a distance.
A few weeks before Thanksgiving, she volunteered to sit in a dunk tank and let her students throw softballs at her. Apparently, one of the little rascals had good aim. She posted a picture of herself, emerging from the tank, drenched from her hair to her socks. The smile on her face convinced me she subjected herself to this treatment more for her own amusement than the kids'.
"Only connect," urged one of E. M. Forster's characters in Howards End.
I believe most of us blog to connect, to share our innermost thoughts with the kindred spirits who, through accidents of birth and circumstances, happen to live thousands of miles away. I have the good fortune to live less than 100 miles from a blogger whose words and character I admire. I should meet her, I thought to myself.
So I sent her a message. A few subsequent emails later, we've nailed down the time and the rendezvous point.
Now, at 3 AM in the morning, while checking Caltrain timetables and station locations online, I discovered one major flaw in my proposed plan:
There are two Coupa Cafes in the neighborhood we'd agreed to meet.
I just sent her an email directing her to the one where I'm planning to wait for her. I hope she gets it in time. Otherwise, come tomorrow afternoon, I'll be looking for a way to drown myself in a dunk tank filled with Venezuela coffee.
[Update: I had to spent about 50 nervous minutes on my own, wondering if she'd ever show up, but the good news is, we did meet. We had a delightful afternoon strolling in the nearby university campus. As to the account of this afternoon, we agreed to cross-blog for each other: she'll write a post for my blog; I'll write one for hers. Stay tuned!]
(Image copyrighted by Driscoll Label Co.)
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16 comments:
That sounds exciting! I'm looking forward to the story of how you got along or maybe (but hopefully not) details of how the Venezuelan caffeine dunk tank was.
Exciting! Hope you have some good coffee :)
I've met some great people via blogging...good luck! And keep us updated.
I believe most of us blog to connect, to share our innermost thoughts with the kindred spirits who, through accidents of birth and circumstances, happen to live thousands of miles away.
Well put. Hope it was fun!
Love this post... I was directed here from LPEG because she thought of me... on my blog, I refer to myself as "OC" and quote Forester... great minds...
Hope your meeting went well!
E.M. Forster huh? One of the three big Fs--along with Flaubert and Fitzgerald. Haven't read any of his stuff. Anyhow, I hope y'all make the connection-she must be a cool gal, seeing as you're taking a train down to Palo Alto.
I love how there's always a twist in your tales. Hope you found one another, had a lovely time, and might eve tell us all about it.
Beth: I didn't need to drop into a dunk tank filled with Venezuelan coffee, after all! We did meet. More later.
Susu: The coffee was quite good, but not enough to take a one-hour train ride outside San Francisco :-)
Cheryl: Thanks! I'm a firm believer that, if possible, we should meet people in person. There's a danger in becoming too comfortable with socializing from behind a monitor.
TC: Thanks! It was fun! I'll post a full report soon.
OC: It's always a pleasure to meet someone devoted to the "Only Connect" principle. Thanks for the invitation to your blog.
DHP: The train ride was pleasant, but waiting for the train at the station in 40 F chill wasn't. At any rate, I'm glad I did. It was well-worth the trip.
Cat: I believe I actually came across this blogger through your blog. She's a regular reader and commentator to your posts as well.
Fun fun fun!! I've only met one blogger so far, and it was great to talk in person and connect that way too. I'll look forward to reading about your time together and kudos to you for initiating the meeting.
Merry Christmas!!
p.s. I think you're right about why we blog...it's like a different sort of support network--that I turn to for advice, encouragement, and friendship.
I was with you on the whole journey, excited to hear about when she walked in the door.
And then I mentally yelled, "NOOOOO! Not TWO Coupa Cafes!"
I hope you met up and we get to hear about it. And who is this chick who wears burgundy wingtips?
Bonus! Just got a real word for word verification: logic.
Oh that's lovely! Have fun! :)
I haven't met any bloggers in person, but wouldn't be opposed to it. Hope you had fun!
Ally: Instead of writing about our meeting on my own blogs, we made arrangement to write for each other's blog, so I too look forward to read what she has to way about the meeting.
Cardio Girl: You have been getting legitimate words from the scrambler too often. What did you do? Should I be afraid of you? ;-)
Aku: It was fun! Thanks!
Coconut: If you happen to know of a blogger who lives close by, who shares common interests, you should consider a meeting. You'll get to see another side of this person that you won't see in his or her words.
I can't wait to hear how the meeting went, and I hope you were both at the same cafe!
Happy Holidays :)
Actually, I read this in my reader a few days ago, and never saw the update! Good to hear you guys had a good meeting, and I can't wait to read her post!
The blogosphere is a curious place but I agree, it is the connections we make through it (planned or unplanned) that keep my coming back for more.
Happy New Year!
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