I Finally Met my Online Friends!

I Finally Met my Online Friends!

Last weekend I was lucky enough to meet up with six of my dearest and closest friends.  Yup, they are my sweet girls who I adore.  Sorry about the gushing descriptions but I just can't help it!

My girls:

(picture above, from top left)

Alison from Teaching Maths with Meaning.

Mel From the Pond and Graphics From the Pond

Stef from Miss Galvin Learns

Brooke from Teachable Moments

Me!

Shanyn from Classroom Chit Chat and 

Tania from Mrs Poultney's Ponderings

We have been chatting online for over two years and when I say chatting, I mean everyday and about everything!  It's funny but we probably chat the least about blogging and more about life!

These wonderful girls have been the best support system for me through life's ups and downs.  I would do anything for these girls. 

I left the quiet shores of my sleepy beach side town to drive north to busy Sydney.  After picking up Alison and meeting with Brooke and swapping cars, we drove into the city where we finally met the other girls. 

It sure is wacky meeting friends in person that you really know very well.  We are so lucky to have the internet and the joys it brings. 

Look at the view from our room!

We DID NOT stop talking as we sat in the bar of the hotel and drank our free drinks, yes free drinks! Thanks Park Royal Darling Harbour. We were so loud I'm sure we were getting strange looks! 

We talked about blogging and even played a game, headed up by Mrs. Poultney (Tania) that only fellow bloggers would get!  

Miss Tania had me in hysterics all night.  She seriously knows how to make me laugh. You know those friends you have that you could just listen to all night and you just want more, yeah well Tania is one of those friends.  I just wish she lived around the corner!  I had met Tania before down in Tassie (Tasmania), you know that little island at the bottom of Australia, that's where Tania is from!

After our drinks we headed out to dinner. We saw some spectacular fireworks on the way. 

Yay, just for us!!!

Yum, the food was scrummy!  Those two guys you see, aren't bloggers at all, they were our body guards! 

Meeting Mel was crazy.  Mel has been such a dear friend and she always has the best advice. Honestly, she has the knack of just saying the perfect thing at the perfect time.  I feel like I could ask her anything and I would get honest, respectful and thoughtful feedback.  I also can't help but admire Mel.  She is hard working, consistently amazing and extremely talented.  I just love how this girl's mind works, for real!  Mel and I can also identify with our similar journey's.  We have both taught Kindergarten, started selling our resources (laminated etc) on eBay as well as our own websites.  We have both been creating resources for years and love it.  I'm sure we found TpT at the same time as well.  However, Mel is a master blogger, full of amazing ideas and resources. 

Oh and thanks for our gift Mel, you know me so well!

I have to say that I was so thrilled to meet Brooke again.  We had met a couple of weeks earlier (read more here).  Brooke is a calm spirit who is also very thoughtful and someone who you can always rely on.  Brooke and my father-in-law live a few doors down from each other and now that we know that, we will be seeing more of each other. 

I can always count on Brooke for support.  Brooke and I chatted and chatted about all kinds of things and I am so lucky to have a friend like Brooke.  She is one of those friends that time passes so quickly because you are so busy gas-bagging (is that just an Aussie term?). 

Brooke also contacted GoNoodle who generously supplied us with lanyards for our blog tags and a carry bag. 

I was lucky enough to bunk with Stef.  Stef is a such a kind soul. She is always thinking of everyone else and always there to support whoever needs it.  I was so thrilled to share a room with Stef as I got to learn more about her family and her class.  She is so passionate about what she does and always goes that extra mile to make sure she is going beyond what her students need. 

Stef you are so sweet and I am so very lucky to be able to call you a dear friend. 

Cute Shanyn, now this little dynamite is a little cutie but don't be fooled by her smile, she is a pocket rocket!  Shanyn is bubbly and full of energy and always cracking us up with her witty replies and funny one liners. 

Thanks for letting me share your dessert Shanyn!

I can't believe that I actually got to meet you and can't wait to meet up next time.  Seriously, look how sweet this girl is. Thanks for making me laugh!

I was able to spend a bit of extra time with Alison as I picked her up on the way to Brooke's.  We chatted about so many things and loved spending time learning about her town in Victoria (a whole state away).  Alison is so thoughtful and is often the one who has such thoughtful advice.  She is always thinking about how to help everyone else.  

The following day we went for a walk along Darling Harbour and then took the ferry around the harbour, under Sydney Harbour Bridge to Circular Quay and back to Darling Harbour.  

It was so exciting to meet these girls and I cannot tell you how happy I am to call them dear, dear friends. 

Thanks for the memories girls.