Canada, Eh?
Don't Drink The Water...*
It's funny how I draw the line between "net-life" and "real life." I suppose technically net-life is part of real life but isn't it funny that when it comes time to meet a part of your net-life in real life, you're so nervous you think you might die before you even get there... Is this making any sense?
I recently got back from Canada, where I went to go visit my Aunt Claire, cousin Daniel, Gary, Aunt Denise, Pierre, Uncle Norm and Aunt Jan... and Empryean. God it was terrifying. We drove up to Montreal, then over to Ottowa. We stayed there for a few days before finally heading out to where Empryean lives, as my Uncle Norm lives over that way as well. We finally got to Empy's hometown, but it would be almost another 24 hours before I met him. During that time I paced for approximately 23.6 miles, ruined my nails countless times, and spent hours blankly twirling my hair. What was I to expect? What was he expecting? Was he as shit-scared as I was?
I had talked to him on the phone, and it went okay. We didn't have any large lulls in the conversation, and we didn't seem to hate each other. We have been net friends for about 8 months, so it felt like the necessary next step, but would we live through it?
Anyway, on Wednesday I called him what seemed like a thousand times (only leaving one message, of course... I didn't want him to think I was a complete psycho) and finally got a hold of him at 3 PM. My father and I had driven to his house earlier, at like 12, but no one had been home. I think I got over the worst of my jitters then, but I forgot that Empy hadn't had that chance.
We drove over to his house. I still think I came perilously close to having a heart attack in his driveway, but managed to ring the doorbell... I don't think I've ever seen anyone open a door so slowly. Thankfully, his parents weren't home, so he could run around like a chicken with his head cut off while my father and I stood in the foyer, and that he did.
We had had all these plans for when we met... of course we'd hug and say hello and get along fabulously well and everything would be great. Err, right. Sure. Instead, we stood there awkwardly for a minute or two, then he showed us around the lower half of the house (was that intentional?) and then he turned off the computer (he had been seeking solace online, hoping people could comfort him that I was in fact not a 35 year old pedaphile) and we ended up going to a nearby mall.
After the feeling of having an extended out-of-body experience had passed, I started to feel like I was just spending time with a close friend I hadn't seen in a while. Chatter seemed to come easily to both of us, and we talked while we wandered around the mall, hardly stopping in any stores. What did we talk about? I have no idea. Really, I don't. I couldn't tell you if my life depended on it, except I do remember commenting on hypocrisy at one point. (Long story.) We waved at his mom through the bank window, who had no idea who either of us was, I don't think. We ended up going back to my hotel and sitting in the downstairs just talking about fluff. It was nice. It really was. I had expected it to be so awkward, and it wasn't. Every time there was a small lull in the conversation, we would realize what music was playing in the hotel and start laughing because it was so horrible.
Eventually it was time for the scary part... I had to go meet his parents (and several other family members, but I wasn't worried about them). As we were walking in the front door, his parents came around from the back. (Eeeeeek...) We did the obligatory shaking-hands thing, and my dad went around back with them while Empy and I went inside. (Author's note: it seems awfully strange to call him Empy after calling him by his real name now, isn't that weird?) We went upstairs so he could find the letter he wrote for me, and then we went out back. I talked to his parents for a little bit while he grabbed something to eat. His aunt, uncle, and cousin Michael were there too. It was actually kind of nice. His mom is a really nice woman, and his dad seemed alright (although I know that deep down he hated me...). His aunt and uncle were really nice too, and his cousin seemed fine. Of course, I talked to them for all of five minutes...
Later we dropped him off at work and my father and I went back to the hotel, where I promptly crashed since I hadn't slept very well the night before. I was worrying too much about meeting him. The next morning we stopped by his house before leaving for home, where of course he had just woken up as I got there. We did the little hug thing and I left.
I have pictures. I'll put them up, someday. The verdict? I really liked him, and I'm glad I went. What more could I ask for?
-Sulkingblackstar-
*if you live in Canada, you know exactly what i'm talking about.
