I am meeting someone from the U2 messageboard - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

**U2fan** · 02-07-2005, 08:05 AM

This is a funny story, kind of.

So as some of you know I have been "busy" trying to get tickets and obsessing about everything with the tour. I have been very active on a large U2 messageboard (don't worry, I am not neglecting tpunk; at least I don't think so

) recently.

A few weeks ago I randomly started talking with this guy who lives in St. Louis. He is going to the Philadelphia show (like me) and a bunch of us will be meeting and sharing hotel costs. He seems really cool and we have been talking on instant message for hours on end and once on the phone. Just 2 days ago I decided that I was going to spend the money to go to another show, Chicago, with him the week before Philadelphia, despite the cost and the fact that it is the weekend in between exam weeks

(hey gotta live it up, right?!)

So about a week ago we admitted to each other that we are both embarrassed to admit that we feel like we really like each other. On Friday he sent me flowers. Last night at 2 am he asked what I thought of the him flying to Atlanta to meet me. Well within two hours, he had bought me the ticket to fly to St. Louis to meet him this weekend (I would rather him come here; just seems like the guy should travel in these types of situations but I have a roommate who would not be very cool with him staying with us)......and yeah. He bought me a ticket to come visit him! I am leaving on Friday night and staying until Sunday night. We decided we wanted to see if there is anything there before the shows in May; we were anxious. I am very excited but nervous. I am trying to go into this with no expectations; I am going to be out of the country starting in May for the better part of a year, and even when I'm not, hell St. Louis is 500 miles away. But I figure at least we'll be good friends (but I have seen a picture of him and he looks cute!

)

So, anyway, I had to get this off my chest. I am not telling my family and only two friends because this seems wrong on so many levels. On the one hand, I love that I am so random and spontaneous...who would've thought 2 weeks ago that I would want to visit this guy, or even last night at midnight that I'd be going to St. Louis this weekend? On the other hand, I still think that meeting people online is kind of taboo, and again, it's not like he lives in Atlanta. I am flying to Missouri!!

Now I know that KCL and SD met online and Omid seems to be meeting some girls online.

Well I don't know what the point of this thread is. I guess maybe to get some reassurance that I am not insane. I can only imagine what my parents might say if they knew about this "he could be a psychopath/killer/child molester"....

Ok thanks for reading guys

**voyd** · 02-07-2005, 08:12 AM

Wow, isn't that cool? I'll bet U2 would be flattered to know that their music was bringing people together like that! And the people who invented the internet too, yay!

So, good luck & have fun!

**LiveFreeorDie** · 02-07-2005, 10:25 AM

Hey - you got nothing to lose, but do take certain precautions. I think you should make sure you check in periodically with the friends who know you are going and make sure that they expect you to check in periodically. (not to sound like your dad or anything). The whole concept of meeting people on-line in various ways is still reasonably new so some people think its weird or whatever, but who cares? If your current friends don't share such an important interest with you, its great that you can meet people who do...whatever the way. It can be frustrting sometimes if you are really into something but you do not know anyone else who really shreas your passion.

However, if he shows up to meet you at the airport in an old rusty van with bald tires and tinted windows...run like hell!!

Joking!

**omisan** · 02-07-2005, 11:22 AM

Hey now.. don't be draggin' me into this! Just kidding

Actually, I met my last girlfriend on a band message board a few years ago. Things ended up not working out (long distance, cattiness among the message board community.. yech) but we're now great friends and still go see a lot of shows and do stuff together. So don't listen to the not working out part, but do take into account the fact that I met someone really wonderful who's still a part of my life today!

**kingcrazylegs** · 02-07-2005, 05:59 PM

Nah, you're not crazy...its perfectly normal to meet someone online....

:D

**urOZm8** · 02-07-2005, 09:56 PM

Do it! Why not? What have you got to lose, I mean its coming out of his pocket! As LiveFree said just take some security measures such as telling someone your planned movements to be safe.

ev

**pinion** · 02-07-2005, 10:20 PM

I think you should go ahead, people from this board meet on a regular basis.

I haven't heard of an casualties

**TheJake** · 02-07-2005, 10:23 PM

Yeah but we dont buy plane tickets for other people to come to the meetups!
I guess mostly cause we are all broke though.

**llemus7** · 02-08-2005, 03:48 PM

Good luck with your meet up U2fan, and keep us updated how it went for you.

**my retro career** · 02-09-2005, 06:23 AM

Remember - we want gross details.....and pictures....

Enjoy - good luck - and have fun!

Cheers to you!

**U2fan** · 02-09-2005, 08:39 AM

Thanks guys!

I'll prob. post some pictures but I don't know about gross details

**TheJake** · 02-09-2005, 11:26 AM

We know you wouldnt hold back on us!

**U2fan** · 02-11-2005, 07:51 AM

Ok, I am leaving tonight.

If you don't hear from me by Monday, please contact the authorities.

**Sijuki** · 02-11-2005, 08:25 AM

Good luck... and have fun... hope it works out

You're not crazy... people can meet any which way.

**LiveFreeorDie** · 02-11-2005, 09:22 AM

Quote:

I'll prob. post some pictures but I don't know about gross details

Gross is a very subjective term. You should post them all and we will decide what is gross and what isn't.

GOOD LUCK!!

**ScarlotteDorian** · 02-11-2005, 09:39 AM

wow, i've got to post on this one. well, anthon and i talked online and on the phone almost every night for about 2 months before i made the INSANE decision to drive my happy ass 14 hours out to north dakota to go hiking. i didn't tell anybody in my family or any of my friends...for obvious reasons (meeting someone online could be dangerous). well, i got to the point that i was scared about doing it (especially because i am a girl and i just imagined myself walking into the lions den

) and broke down and told my oldest brother so that i at least had some security here at home. he flipped on me and was like "are you insane!?!? guys that meet girls like that and convince them to come out to their home are obviously just looking to get laid!" i totally freaked out and was deciding not to go at all, thinking to myself "what was i thinking?" then i realized something...i've got to learn to trust my own instincts sometime and i had grown to really like and trust anthon even though i hadn't met him (not to mention i was keeping my camp knife hooked on my belt at all times). anyways, i decided that if i didn't feel comfortable telling my family because i didn't think that they would understand, then i would do something to cover my ass. so i told all the information that i had on anthon (e.i. phone number, age, address, picture, the site that i met him on and some other little things) and put them in a folder and told my roommate where if was, when i was leaving and when i was suppose to come home just in case.

well, it turned out fabulously, obviously. i found my best friend and person i am suppose to spend the rest of my life with. it is still weird to me when people ask us "oh, so how did you guys meet?"..."uhhh, well...online."...."oh.

" whatever.

anyways, what am i trying to say?...i am trying to say trust your instincts. if you feel like this feels like a good thing, than go for it! you could be making a life long friend, but...have a back up plan (someone you can call to help)...and leave as much info as you possibly can with your friends if you aren't going to tell your family.

well, have fun, be safe.

**kingcrazylegs** · 02-11-2005, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ScarlotteDorian@Feb 11 2005, 11:39 AM
not to mention i was keeping my camp knife hooked on my belt at all times

(::thoughts of Lorraine Bobbit:

damn I'm glad I didn't piss you off

**butterj** · 02-14-2005, 04:05 PM

Is she back anyone heard from here,

updates U2 howd it go

**U2fan** · 02-14-2005, 04:14 PM

Oh yeah, forgot to say I am back.

It went well! He is a nice guy; quieter than I had expected. We had fun.

Anyway, that is the story basically. It was nice meeting him but seeing as how he is in St. Louis and I don't really want a relationship right now, much less a long distance one, we will just be friends and meet up at the shows and keep in touch

**kingcrazylegs** · 02-14-2005, 05:55 PM

Well at least you made a good firt impression