5 Ways to Make Real Life Friends Online

Would you believe it if I told you that the 5 of us pictured had only met in real life just minutes before this was taken? I mean, you can’t fake the laughter and the warmth. It’s true. We have been online friends for several years and finally got the chance to meet in real life a month ago. I am just going to say; online friends can become real life friends and they can make some of the best friends you’ll ever have.

robes c/o Triumph (peach robe , lavender robe) // champagne c/o One Hope  
monogrammed wine tumblers c/o For Posh Sake

friends left to right:
Natasha of Hello! Happiness // myself // Liz of Pure Joy Home // Veronika of Veronika’s Blushing // Sara of Haute and Humid
Photos by Angie Garcia Photography

I would have told you that you were crazy if you said that I would meet some of my best friends online. I would have legit told you you’re insane. No way could I know someone and actually become real life friends with them by never meeting them or even having a mutual friend with them. ESPECIALLY would you not tell me that my friends would be spread across the country. Well, I was totally proved wrong over the past few years. Online can be a great place to meet friends, connect and actually share in some similar interests and passions!

I want to share with you a few ways that I’ve connected with new friends online in my little spaces over the past few years. It’s been an amazing experience to watch these friendships grow and learn from each other even when we’re long distances apart! These 4 ladies are just a handful of the friends that I’ve made from connecting in online spaces. I have two pretty close-knit blogging groups where I talk to the ladies daily. Then I also have really great friends who I’ve met through pregnancy groups with each pregnancy. I also have friends that I’ve met through this blogging space that live in the same area and we’ve actually gotten to connect in real life. This online space can be such a great resource; seriously take advantage of so many amazing women that are potential friends being at your fingertips.

5 Ways to Make Real Life Friends Online

• Find a Safe Space – For me, it was my blog, Instagram and Facebook. I know that there are lots of different ways to connect, but these were safe and organic for me as that’s where I was spending time when I had downtime, was bored or looking for adult interaction while being home with kids all day! I found myself talking to these girls constantly through social media, some several years ago during pregnancies, some during vacations where I had met other friends, and some from a blog group. You never know where you will make your next best friend, so keep an open mind…she/he might be sitting next to you at Starbucks on their computer too!
• Look Around You – (Pay Attention to Who You Interact With) If you are constantly commenting on someone’s photos and they’re commenting back. Maybe you’re DM’ing all day every day and even have something in common like a child the same age, a job, or live in the same area. Maybe that person is more than an online friend. Ask them for their phone number/email and set up a date to talk on the phone, facetime or meet in real life if it’s feasible!
• Join Communities and Be Active – This is probably my biggest tip for making real online friends. Find what you have in common! I am a part of several great Facebook groups (I even run a very large one that’s worldwide), DM groups on Instagram and blog communities that lots of the girls in these little communities have become my friends. I talk with most of them on a daily basis and we just have lots of things in common. I am still friends with the mommies from my pregnancy group with my first born! They’re the best!
• Start a Text Group/Weekly House Party Call – These girls are my sounding board. They hear me vent about my days and are often there to listen to me pop the cork and have a glass of wine with me from 1000 miles away. I know it sounds silly, but sometimes it’s the people who you least expect that get you the most.
• Plan Your Meet Up – For us, it was rStheCon. We all were able to be invited and meet up in Dallas last month. We all couldn’t believe that we had never met in real life because we just picked up where we left off in our last text. We’re blogging besties, but more than that, we are friends. We are real life friends that all hugged and cried when we left each other that Sunday. We genuinely love each other and have talked almost every day since. We love each other’s kids and we quickly became real life friends long before we ever met. Your meet up can be as simple as meeting for coffee or planning a trip for your families! You’ll know when the time is right. 

 You might think that you have enough friends and you don’t need to make any friends online? You might just find that you don’t want to put forth the energy for more friends. And that’s fine, but in such a lonely time that motherhood can be; why not find someone to share in the wins, the wine and the fun/silly times that you go through each day! 

I can’t wait to meet several more of my online friends! It’s crazy how many connections I’ve made through my little communities! I have some of the best support through these online friends who have become real friends. I can’t even tell you how we met or how we managed to all click so well, but I think God knew what he was doing when he placed these ladies into my life

So while it may seem silly to some, online friends are real. Online friends can absolutely be real life friends. You just need to keep your mind open as well as your heart open for new friendships, find the right space and people and BE a good friend. I think the best advice my mom ever gave me (among so much more) is: to have a good friend you must BE a good friend. I hope that I am that for these girls, all of my friends in real life and online and just in every relationship I have…I hope I am a good one.

Cheers to new friendships, old friendships, renewed friendships….cheers to all of the friendships! Here’s so stepping out of comfort zones and choosing community over competition. Here’s to picking up the phone and calling an old friend. Here’s to making a new friend or being open to make friends in unconventional ways. Here’s to finding your mama bestie or at least to someone who will drink wine with you on playdates. 😉

Here’s to friendships…CHEERS!

Thank you to Triumph for sponsoring today’s post!