Internet Love Story

October 19, 2007
| 76 Comments

Normally I try to ovoid being too personal, sentimental or intruding if you like. This post might be considered different, but then again it’s a special occasion. I wish to send my wife a special greeting and reading through you will understand why:

How I met Diane:
My regular readers know I met my wife on the net about 10 years ago, but I don’t think I’ve told the details:

8 AnniversaryWe met in a newsgroup. 10 years ago it was a very popular kind of community providing selective information and a place for discussion. As active at The Norwegian Computer Society, we started our own, but there were no activities? I wanted to see how the most popular one was functioning, so I found ‘personal pen pals’ with more than 200 000 participants (quite impressive at that time!). I randomly replied to an entreaty from a person from the US presenting herself as interested in travel. In my reply I told I was from Norway, loved sailing and other outdoors activities – also in the winter time. I know this person got ca 50 replies and by coincidence mine was what caught her eyes. We had some more replies on the group and then to make it short:

I (who was the man) of course gave my mail address and then we started to exchange mails. You might say it wasn’t love after fist sight, but it was interesting to learn more and more and got more and more interested during this ‘dialogue’. Searching and exploring we challenge each other and I learned a lot, also about my self, my inner feelings and what I wanted in my life. Slowly I fell in love and wanted more, so we start chatting (at that time we used ‘PowWow’) and then we started to send pictures (I got my first digital camera at ’97). Then I took courage to call her and for the first time heard her voice! Then it was more intense communication with Microsoft NetMeeting and use of web camera and then I lost my heart ;-) I visited her and her family once and she came over to do the same. 8 years ago she moved to Norway, we got married and are living happily ever after :-) The picture to the left is flowers I gave her for our Anniversary 4 days ago.

I make this post also to cheer up my wife, Diane. Some weeks ago we where told that her mom vas very seriously ill from cancer. It’s hard in itself to get this kind of message, but even more when you are living so long apart. Diane has also been very busy lately with her part time job and studies for her Master degree. She had a paper to deliver a week ago and a test to take yesterday. Now she has gone to see her mother and the rest of the family. I do hope she can have some quality time despite the circumstances. In this I wanted to tell her I love her – that I want her to have a good time – that I miss her – and that the children and me welcome her back. For sure she will read this post and comments, so go on give her some greetings and warm thoughts.

May I also ad that her mom has visited us twice and we’ve had some wonderful adventures together. My best (and I think my MIL’s as well) memories was our trip to Bergen driving over Hardangervidda, Northern Europe’s largest high mountain plateau – click and read for yourself!

Habits