I heard about Brussels and I worried. We haven’t spoken in ages, but I still think of you and you do put a smile on my face.

Funny thing about meeting people online. Don’t get me wrong, I am not talking about online dating. I am talking about chatting online. That’s how I met X. On a warm summer night. I was in Crete and X was in Africa for work. We started talking. “I’m from Belgium” X said. “Where’s Belgium?” I asked.  Get a map! It’s only like the capital of Europe!” We started talking about our life, our favourite things, music, food everything. Then, it was time to stop talking and we said if we meet again here, it will be out of chance. And we did. And chatted again for hours. “We have a connection” X said. ” Nah. We just have the same interests. That’s not a connection”.

X believed in soul mates and connections. The cynic in me doesn’t believe in that stuff. Maybe cause I haven’t met the ‘one’. The thing about talking online is that if you have a strong pen, you get caught up in bubbles and pink little clouds. because you are not face to face with someone but looking at a screen, you talk about your inner thoughts. You are under the assumption that the other person is as well. This went on for ages. Months. X was in a bad place and I was trying to be a friend. Now that I am writing about this, I do wonder. My gosh the hours I spent online. The things we talked about.

I would meet men in my real life and wonder ” Why is this dude so boring? Why can’t we have conversations like I do with X?”.

I am a sucker for words I guess. Woo me with your talk. Talk to me about music. Make me think…

We spent loads of time sending each other music. That’s the other thing. When you chat with someone and then you start sending music, your “fairy-tale” has a sound track. Ours was this one.

I then found out I was going to be working in England and the cheapest flight from Athens had a stop at the Brussels airport. Com’on?! I said” I will be in Brussels for 2 hours. Do you want to meet?”. X came to the airport and we had one of those movie moments at arrivals. You know the one where you are looking for someone and you cannot find them?  You are looking in the wrong direction and someone calls your name and you turn? That’s what happened. X said, ” Joanna?”. I turned. I saw X. We went for… water at the Starbucks airport. We laughed, had fun. It was like two friends meeting. Then it was time for me to catch the plane and go to the UK. We said “goodbye” and had one of those awkward moments when you try to kiss someone on the cheek but you both aim at the same side. Yeah.

There were lots of talks after that. Another meeting for some hours. Nothing happened. This went on for 3 years.Messages, chatting. “You have had an impact on me” X said. Then it just went away. Life happens.

Looking at what happened in Brussels last week made me think of X. I hope you are OK.