The first time I met someone in person after first meeting online, I approached David at a bar on our way into a Beth Orton concert. It was quite a date for two straight guys. He later introduced me to a few other bloggers, Xoloitzquintle, HP and Cindylu. All four bloggers have unique perspectives on Mexico and the U.S., leading to some fascinating conversations.
Having spent quite a bit of time in Tijuana, I’ve spread my photos across various Flickr groups. When one of those groups decided to have a face-to-face meetup, I was excited. It would be the first time to meet Flickr contacts in Tijuana. And if past experience was any guide, it had promise.
I couldn’t make the 4 p.m. Friday gathering time, but knew they’d be at Playas de Tijuana until sunset. I arrived around 6 p.m. and cautiously walked to the meeting place with my gear. I wandered about a bit looking for a group with cameras, taking a few photos along the way.
Approaching the group, I recognized a few of them from their photos. After brief introductions, it was a relatively quiet walk along the beach. Noesh, even smaller than her “chiquita pero picosita” tagline, tripped over her son and Vanezia’s son at the water’s edge. Unbeknownst to me, I was at the front of a meta chain. I did my best to impress them with my Spanish, even though everyone is likely bilingual. It was a beautiful sunset and nice to chat a bit with these Tijuanenses.
Following the walking tour, Isha.Net* created a new group for Flickr meetups across Baja California. I’m looking forward to future meetups and the chance to meet those who weren’t able to make this initial gathering.
To each of you, Sërch, Gioser_Chivas, Xeelee, Isha.Net*, JoVaNnItA, Vanezia, Noesh, Griselda, Liam, Ibrahim, it was great to meet you.