So I found an Australian wedding forum and it changed my life. Almost 10 years ago I 'met' a bunch of gals who had married or planned to marry around the same time as my nuptuals. It was a fabulous way to talk about your wedding and share the excitement as there's only so much your friends and family want to talk about it and also it was a great place to learn money-saving tips, find suppliers who people had used and make some friendships that spilled over into real life.
As I've told you, shortly after we were married we found out we were expecting, so I continued on the same forum which had morphed into not only a wedding forum, but a pregnancy and baby one too. Pretty soon there were a whole lot of us expecting babies around the same time and before we knew it we were sharing pregnancy and parenting tips and how to survive on one income.
I'm still in touch with a lot of those ladies (hello if you're visiting!) who were there with me when I discovered we were having our twins - hubby and I set up the AMBA forum because after having a local network for both our wedding and our first child we were missing that online support we needed.
Now these days I spend my online life here, a few other forums, on facebook occasionally and on twitter (how I love twitter!). There's a new little community I've joined too, and I will occasionally be contributing to over at KleenexMums - keep an eye out! KleenexMums have also release a gorgeous little eBook which I contributed to, along with some other very talented Mums.
Download it here or view it via the very fancy flash interface here - make sure you read all of it, but especially the article about 'real friends' which is my very real and gorgeous friend telling a story about how we first met. Brought a tear to my eye *sniff*
The gift from my online life is I feel connected, educated, entertained, amused and supported. I really don't know what I would have done without my online life. It has enhanced my real life more than I ever could have expected.
Comment and tell me about your online life - or link up your own post if you like, I'd love to read it! xxx
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10 lovely comments:
I have found a lot of women of varying ages all going through the same thing at different times. Which, sounds odd but there is always someone there who has been there to which you can talk to. Also I like the laughter - there is always laughter over something either they have done or their children has done!
Sometimes the laughter will pull you out of what ever crap is going on in your world, and I like that very much.
M
I have had a personal blog for over four years now and I love the connections I have made with people through it. I love facebook for the same reasons but have to restrict my usage because hours can disappear without me even realising it! My husband still gets nervous when I tell him I am off to meet "an internet friend" but so far I have only had positive experiences connecting with online friends in the real world.
I've always loved making friends online. First it was through IRC (a chat program) in my teen years - I'm still in contact with loads of people even to this day from there, then it was through LJ and now, blogging.
Some people might say it's not "real" but I disagree, strongly.
I used to chat with people I knew IRL on ICQ about 12 years ago. Then I stopped chatting and used strictly email.
Then Facebook came along, and now I found blogging and Twitter.
Blogging is the thing that I really enjoy, and can't imagine not doing it.
Thank you, thank you for setting up the AMBA forums!! A great job done there and used by loads of multiple mums.
I don't have a huge online life (fb, twitter and recently blogging) but the bit I have certainly enriches my off-line life.
Like you, I cherish the connections made online. I'm shy in real life and have found that when I meet new people, being able to first interact with them online helps smooth a path to a real-life friendship.
Great to find you here, made me laugh re the 'life' bit, as it has just gone 1am and I am still here! I love the online world (new to the blogging bit) as I work and connect with the world in the hours my babes are all asleep. A big traveller before the 3 extra little suitcases arrived, it is fab to be able to fly around the place while still remaining in the nest!
My online life has really made a difference in my real life over the last year. I started blogging a year ago and it has given me a much needed creative outlet (I'm currently a stay at home mum and self employed).I adore Twitter too - @inawelshgarden : )And Facebook is invaluable for me to keep in touch with precious friends scattered all over the country. I think I'd feel very isolated without my online life during the day as I'm at home for most of it with Littlest.I don't find that my online life is in any way a substitute for my real one;it just enhances it and makes me happy : )
Hi, visiting from the Fibro's Weekend Rewind. Great blog, I look forward to connecting with you.
Great post. I too started my LON (life online)through forums when I became pregnant.
My involvement has advanced through my online virtual assistance business into Twitter (love, love Twitter) and Facebook. And of course blogs.
I love the way it is possible to share and connect with so many other like-minded people in the 21st century.
Great post Liss. I think the extra dimension an online life can add to real life has saved many a new mum from going completely mad!
Thanks for Rewinding at the Fibro!
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