No, I had been out of the US. I'd been to Rome for a month that January, and then I moved to Chicago for the summer, and then I went to Wales. But it was the start of a very long period of travel for me.

So, okay. Hi. My name SA, yes that's my real name. When I was a senior in high school I had a lot of self-generated time on my hands, and stumbled into WX from someone else's link. I went to college, and met my first Buffistas in the flesh, Steph L and Katefate, who drove down to my college to see me. Still kind of blows my mind that you all did that! Steph was one of my lifelines in college. If I was freaking out, or needed to get the hell away, she'd say "Come up and see me!" and for a weekend I could escape the epic fail.

Um. I posted on the board a lot more when I was in high school and college than I do now, but I think only Meara and Drew rival me in Buffistas-who-see-other-Buffistas-whilst-travelling. (I will probably be proved wrong in the subsequent posts.) After I finished college, I moved to Ireland and had a Jars for awhile, and then I moved to England and had a Fay occasionally; I was a very lucky person. And last year, around this time, I submitted my MA thesis, packed up all my things, and moved to Portland, where I now seem to be biding my time while itching to move again. It's a sickness, I tell you.

Most people on the board remember me as a kid, I think, and have had the dubious pleasure of watching me grow up via the internet. I learned a lot from the remarkable group of people that populate this board, not the least of which was that any dream I had, there was support and advice and encouragement there. I don't know that I would have spent so much time abroad if people here hadn't told me I could do it; I'm not sure I would have completed my MA if people didn't tell me the idea had merit; and I know for a fact that I wouldn't be as open to the many experiences life has to offer without people saying, "Oh my god, SA, just do it!"

I don't want to be all soppy or whatever, but for me, having the 'ffistas as a personal resource has given me some of the most important tools and skills I have, and I lay that at the feet of those who were kind enough to let a teenager spaz all over their internet. I've said thank you before, but it's never enough.

dubious pleasure

What means this "dubious"?

::makes out with amych, who still owes me a fencing story set in Smallville from 2002::

No, I had been out of the US. I'd been to Rome for a month that January, and then I moved to Chicago for the summer, and then I went to Wales. But it was the start of a very long period of travel for me.

I know you hadn't been to Canada, because that's why we went! To Lush. Ah, life pre-child. (We'd been talking about Portland, and changed our minds!)

DUDE, I GOT DISTRACTED BY THE RESEARCH.

DUDE, I GOT DISTRACTED BY THE RESEARCH.

AHAHAHA. Yeah, you really, really did.

I know you hadn't been to Canada, because that's why we went! To Lush. Ah, life pre-child. (We'd been talking about Portland, and changed our minds!)

Oh that's right! That was my first trip to Canada, with the chocolate and the Lush and the coastal drive! And the ferries! Good times.

DUDE, I GOT DISTRACTED BY THE RESEARCH.

I'm sorry, what was that about Lex pinning Clark to the wall with his pointy...rapier?

Steph was one of my lifelines in college. If I was freaking out, or needed to get the hell away, she'd say "Come up and see me!" and for a weekend I could escape the epic fail.

And consume astonishingly large amounts of sushi!

SA, I miss you!

DUDE, I GOT DISTRACTED BY THE RESEARCH.

I should say so, what with the husband and all...

SA, I miss you!

I miss you too! I was just looking at photos the other day and thinking about how much I miss those weekends that always fell kind of the same--massive amounts of sushi, trip to the comic book store, trip to Trader Joe's, lots of television and discussion. Those are some of my fondest memories of college, really. I remember meeting your dude before anyone else did! I was like the Special Buffista Envoy of Boy Approval. It was amusing to me.

Mostly, though, I miss being just a drive away. We were a little spoiled.

But I don't even remember a lot of my own history with this board, only that it started when I was a teenager and has dramatically affected the course of my life in so very many ways.

I do! You delurked in Bitches, at WX, having been pointed here by Herself, and you had this cute long-haired photo that was blurry round the edges.

DUDE, I GOT DISTRACTED BY THE RESEARCH.

Yes! The Wesley/Lex crossover story. Huh. Any other single Buffistas out there want to develop a new prize-winning hobby and acquire a hot DH, just offer to cowrite a story with me. The research? It gets pretty distracting.