Janelle and I have known each other since we were 12, but we actually first met over the internet! Which was a completely different world in the mid-90s. That makes her the guest I've known, by far, the longest. What was it like to form a friendship "online", and what was the magic that made it stick?

This episode is a little longer than usual because Janelle is a self-described talkative person, and we ramble and veer off-topic a bit, because we're just so excited to reminisce about about all the nerdy things we loved. Anime. Video games. Star Wars. All super cool things, now. Just goes to show we weren't uncool then, we were just ahead of our time. It was so refreshing and FUN to talk about things I used to love so much, but haven't thought about for decades. Get ready to learn things about me (and my past!) that you'll never hear about anywhere else.

Highlights:

"I just was super shy, couldn't really talk to people... but then the internet felt like a place of safety."

"It's so powerful to go somewhere and just be able to be yourself completely."

"And so when I went out to visit them for the first time, it was like joining... I can't even express it. It was like joining my tribe that I already had known for years."

"Most people want to be friends with people and most people want to be liked and to have connections. And I think a lot of people will be afraid to reach out and make deeper connections with people they already know."

It's amazing how much niche and obscure interests create such long-lasting bonds, and that they can even signify traits that we value in friends today. The internet is magic. Thank you for giving me some of my first friendships.

Do you have any internet friends you made back in the day? Or anyone who you'd think would enjoy this episode, please send it to them. That would be super awesome, and I would appreciate it so much.

Thank you. *hugs*