When long-time friends become real-life friends

I was going to title this post something like Meeting friends for the first time but it just didn't feel right. I've known these ladies for over five years, but a couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of actually spending time with them, all on the same side of the computer screen for the first time.

Thanks to my parents taking a little winter excursion, I was able to sneak over to their place, where I co-hosted a lovely little girls weekend/retreat with four friends from my blogging mastermind group, the Green Ninjas. I co-hosted with a local friend, Krissa, who I knew a little from my college days but who I really got to know through the mastermind group, and we were joined by Rebekah, Stacy, and Emily.

It was a simple weekend-- Krissa picked up the girls from the airport Friday night and we met up at the house where we spent the weekend lounging, chatting, eating, and getting some blogging brainstorming and writing inspiration.

We made sure to visit the beach, and had lots of down time to relax and just be together. Food highlights included local favorite chips, salsa, & guacamole from El Nopalito, a trip to In-n-Out, fresh-squeezed orange juice, homemade sourdough bread, and some delicious coffee and pizza.

Monday morning, we were already talking about planning our next gathering (hopefully with even more members of our li'l group present). We headed over to my place so I could pick up the kids and relieve my husband from a weekend of solo-parenting (thank you, honey, you're the best!).

And I laughed as Rebekah commented that entering my house was like stepping into my blog, or like being on a movie scene. She'd had so many little glimpses of it through the blog and social media that it was already familiar. And that's how it felt to finally hug these ladies and be able to talk to them face-to-face.

I drove the girls to the airport where we embraced and they waved goodbye to the palm trees. And just like that, we are back to communicating by chatting on Voxer and commenting on FB and IG posts.

It's a funny thing, this modern world, and sometimes we find beautiful, real friendships in unexpected places... like the internet. ;)

More pictures found at #greenninjaretreat.