March Slice of Life Story Challenge: Day 22 of 31 / Virtual Friends

Virtual Friends

Today was the Saturday Reunion hosted by the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project. Twice a year, the Project hosts a day of free workshops and opens its doors to educators around the globe to come and learn and think alongside each other. There is so much I could write about - the gripping keynote by Diane Ravitch, the enthusiastic crowds, or the way in which the weather cooperated to provide a lovely backdrop for the whole thing.

But today I'm choosing to write about a moment in which a virtual (as in online, not almost) friend became a live one. I had just finished my first workshop and sprinted to get to my second. When I arrived, I was greeted by a very familiar face and voice, both of which belonged to someone who is a respected colleague, with whom I email nearly daily, but whom I've never actually met. It was Two Writing Teachers' very own Tara Smith. Of course, no introduction was needed, as we communicate via Google Hangout and I recognized her instantly. We hugged hello, and said how nice it was to meet each other in person.

In addition to meeting Tara, I also got to meet Slicer Catherine Flynn and writer Zoe Ryder White, whom I adore but had yet to meet in the flesh.

What an interesting, connected world in which we live. Friends can be people we've never been in the same room with. Co-workers can live in a different continent. A whole cadre of like-minded professionals can spring up on Twitter. I feel so lucky to be a part of it all.