I heard sceptic voices regarding meeting bloggers in person because of a possible disappointment. My own experience was nothing like that at all. I did not have any expectations about the wonderful people I was going to meet. They already captured my heart for months and I dare to say that we did know each other by heart. That is why it was not necessary that any ice needed to be broken. There simply was no ice. We all embraced each other with arms wide open! We laughed and joked about all the things we were posting about. It truly were meetings between old friends! I am already thinking about my next trip. I will make it an effort that at least once in my life I want to embrace the people I call my friends, brothers, and sisters!

Visiting Linda Bethea of Nutsrok

My trip to and through the USA started with an invitation from Linda. I have loved her stories about her mom and past times, and her wonderful black humor! We also had a blast chatting. It was Spring when I started checking how and when I could make it possible. Finally in the middle of August I had all the necessary information together, scheduled with her and booked.

October 26 was THE day. It was rainy when I arrived at Shreveport Airport. I walked towards the baggage claim when I heard someone calling my name. Linda recognized me right away! And so did I when I turned around. Linda and her husband Bud are such lovely and selfless people. They welcomed me in their home like a family member (only Buzzy wasn’t so sure about me… haha). I was spoiled all over. Linda had prepared a beautiful room for me. The first morning she prepared a huge breakfast! She is an amazing cook.

We had three full days.  Shortly after I arrived Linda’s sister Phyllis of  Anchors and Butterflies, and her adorable mom, Kathleen, came over for a visit.

The first day Linda, her husband, her mom, and I went to the place where Linda and her siblings grew up. After that visit we went for a lovely picnic. It was fun and I enjoyed the company of mother Kathleen a lot. She is 87 years old, so funny, so very smart, full of self-mockery, and she has a heart for 5. After lunch we went for a walk and mother was fit as a fiddle. I was told she even works out twice a week and she takes good care to walk at least 2 miles a day! Amazing woman! Here are some pics of this day:

We also went to an old cemetery

And we found two of those within their huge net spun across the path…. urgh!

Meeting Kruti of 10 Evening Flowers in Texas

Day 2 was the day we met one of my dearest friends I made here on WordPress.

Linda and I drove to Dallas in order to see my lovely blog sister, Kruti. She immigrated only one month before from India to the States. We both longed for that day to finally hug each other and we were so happy it all worked out. There was so much to tell and as Kruti commented on a picture on her post: We couldn’t stop hugging each other. It was a dream come true to meet her. Kruti is one of the most compassionate, supportive, fairness-loving, innovative, courageous, and just open-hearted persons I know. I am proud, thankful, and happy to call her my friend and sister. Kruti gifted me with a beautiful symbolism of her home country India and a cute little donkey with a sweet message.

We spent all day together:

Isn’t she a sweetheart? Thank you, Kruti. I will never forget that day and hope with all my heart, that we will meet soon again.

Please read more about Day 1 and 2 here.

On Day 3 Linda, her sister Phyllis, their mom, and I drove down towards the south in order to visit the village Natchitoches. I posted about it under Melrose Plantation – Natchitoches, Louisiana.

That was my last day with Linda and her family. All of them own a huge part of my heart. Most of all mother Kathleen. She made a drawing for me showing my grandfather and I. In order to keep it safe for the transport she wrapped it in a beautifully embroidered table-cloth. This is the drawing:

Linda gifted me with so many thoughtful things. First of all with her amazing and loving hospitality but also with spending so much time with me and driving me to all these wonderful places and making it possible that we could meet Kruti. Linda gave me a beautiful box with home-made soap (already in use, Linda! I love it!), two beautiful pillow cases, embroidered in Louisiana style. She would have even given me a beautiful quilt. But that was too much for my suitcase. After our day in Natchitoches she surprised me with two paintings of Clementine Hunter, a famous US painter who lived as a slave and then slave owner on the Melrose Plantation. I still don’t have words for your generosity, Linda! My heartfelt thank you! But what meant the most to me was her saying that she found in me another daughter. That touched me a lot and will treasure this forever. Thank you so very much, Linda!

The California Blogger Meeting

Carolina of Yesterday After, Marissa of Glorious Results of a Misspent Youth, and I were excited to meet in person. Carolina and I talked about it for so many months when we started following each other. In the beginning we had an excited chat about Point Dume up in Malibu which made us start thinking about meeting once I am back in Cali. And now it was really about to happen.

We invited Kevin Hotter and also Corinne. Unfortunately Kevin couldn’t join us short noticed because of work. So we four ladies got more and more excited the closer the day came. I dare to claim that most excited was our beautiful Carolina! She posted already days in advance in anticipation. Thank God we all love Starbucks and so the location was found quickly.

Marissa and I met first. We hugged and laughed like old friends who finally met again after a long time and it was the same when Carolina and Corinne joined us. I did not know Corinne by then but it did not make any difference. It seemed as we all knew each other forever. We were hugging, chatting, laughing, talking about many things we posted before and got to know more about the person behind the blog.

Carolina surprised us all. She gifted us with a beautiful creation especially designed for each one of us. The thoughtfulness about the necklace she made for me touched me very deeply. She took a stone from Pointe Dume, a turquoise (she knew I liked it), and a pearl to symbolize the ocean. How much more personal can something be. Made by the hands of a close friend with so much soul flowing into it, gives this jewelery so many meanings. It even looks like beach, ocean, sky, and sun. It is a piece of Carolina’s Californian heart. I need to mention the clever way she made necklaces and bracelets. They are perfectly adjustable in their length without opening up. Thank you, my dearest friend. I can never say, how much this means to me!

Carolina and Marissa already posted about our meeting. Please don’t miss to head over and read Carolina’s excited words and Marissa’s hysterical poem.

That was my first blogger meeting and I will make it an effort to keep it up. I just commented at Marissa’s how wonderful it is to have so many wonderful friends around the globe! We proved that what we felt about each other through our blogging connection was more than real. Thank you WordPress for connecting people, for connecting the world, and therefore for laying a seed of bringing virtual tolerance and union into the real world. Let’s show the world that no matter where we come from, what religion, culture, or race we originate, we are one!

Thank you all! I have no words to express what meeting you has meant for me!

On June 11 there is a  chance for everybody to meet the blogger behind the blog. Sacha of Sacha Black organizes The Second Annual Blogger Bash in London. I intend to go there!

In Love and Light