“OMG, hello!”
Samantha spots me outside the Meet The Maker’s Market in Westfield. She comes towards me with open arms. Her smile makes me smile.
She gives me the biggest, warmest hug. It’s a greeting you’d expect from a high school friend or your sister. To be honest, I am guessing that’s how sisters hug. I only have a brother and I still have the scar where he threw a Nintendo controller at me when I beat him on Rainbow Road. I had Luigi. I shouldn’t have won.
So Samantha, the face and the energy behind Geelong Women In Business, is just like her Instagram account. Passionate, supportive and encouraging. She’s a big advocate for building a community of strong, empowered women and her energy is infectious. Her love for our community is inspiring.
I know all this about her.
Except, this is the first time I’ve met Samantha face to face. It was Instagram that introduced us.
“I feel like I already know you,” Sam says.
It’s true. Instagram allowed us into each other’s lives. We’ve been able to congratulate each other’s successes, and laugh at the hilarity of life on a cloudy day.
“Let’s ACTUALLY do a coffee soon,” I pitch. I love a good catch up over a drink.
Guess what? It’s the second time this has happened to me this year.
Amarra from Rare Birds Co sees me before I see her. I’m walking across the courtyard of Deakin campus when she calls out my name.
This beautiful soul had already taken the time to suggest a great acupuncturist to aid the recovery of my recent surgery. She also suggested some cafes across Geelong that I should try on my next day off.
“I hope this is not weird, I just saw you and wanted to introduce myself. How did the acupuncturist go?”.
Instagram again. Bringing Geelong people together.
I’m in awe. This woman had the confidence to break down the wall between online and reality and unite our worlds.
I am in love with Instagram on a whole new level now. It was once a place to share my day with my besties. To upload a selfie or laugh at how I ended up with avocado in my hair! Now, it’s creating new friends and continues to be a place for support and encouragement.
So, thank you Insta. Because of you, I am surrounding myself with people who are welcoming me into their world. They are inspiring me to grow, challenging me to become a better version of me and showing me it’s ok to make mistakes. We pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and look forward to the sun rising tomorrow.
I guess this is how adults make friends in 2016. And I’m more popular than ever with three coffee dates to organise.
Stampsy does her thing on Twitter and Instagram @only1stampsy
Stampsy is the Music Director and Drive Announcer at K Rock in Geelon
