Dear Andrea,
In the past few days I read an interesting article in the Internet Kalauz about internet romances and it gave me the desire to write about my own experience.

Last Christmas my parents gave me a subscription to the internet and from that time I found it impossible to stay off the net.  I've spent a lot of time on the IRC where I've had conversations with a lot of foreigners, but none of them really made an impression. I mean none became a lasting relationship.  Something happened in February, however, when I saw a nick that I've found very sympathetic even though it was an ordinary name – I suspected something more behind it and I've tried to engage the owner in conversation.  My suspicions proved correct.

From the first time we had a wonderful time together and I was saddened when he had to leave, although we've agreed that we would keep in touch by e-mail.  That is what happened and throughout the following month we had an opportunity to get to know one another.  It was almost a month later that we ‘ran into’ one another again and were able to talk.  It was obvious this time to both of us that there was more here than just friendship, we were completely smitten with each other.  The number of daily e-mails increased and we met several times during the week in virtual chat-rooms.  Occasionally we took advantage of MATAV's low overnight rates and spent the nigh ‘together’.

Within a month we've exchanged our real addresses and thought that it would be more personal to correspond that way and a better quality photo could be exchanged than on the net (the downside is that you can't blame the monitor for making you look different).  The air bristled around us and eventually I told my parents about our relationship.  We talked about the possibility of meeting during the summer.  It was difficult to get my mother to agree to it because she works with money and realizes that taking care of an international guest involves many things.  Finally we convinced her.

Both of us were very anxious for the big day to arrive when we could finally stand face to face and say in words what so far we could only say on the net.  I never felt in such a way.  When we first saw each other I was so shy that I could not say anything in English all day.  We had to communicate on a piece of paper.  It was completely different this time, now I was in person with a total stranger who perhaps knew more about me than my own mother. I couldn't decide if I should hug him, hold his hand or just walk by his side.  It was such a unique feeling, and of course we did all of those things in sequence, first hugged each other, walked side by side than held hands.)

I was able to get to know my parents a lot better too than I would have thought.  I realize how much they respect my things and were very positive and helped me get this visit off the ground.  We had a wonderful time although we all agreed, including my parents, that two weeks were too short.  My entire family was so taken by him that they thought it was a tragedy that he had to return to Denmark.  This summer meeting strengthened our love and in December I'm going to visit him and spend Christmas and New Year with him and his parents.

A long time ago I thought only people who could not get a real life would fall in love over the net.  But that is not the case.  I think this is a form for those who are much more interested in a person's inner qualities than their looks.

Gabby