Meet Other AR Members As You Travel -
Check Out ARups Group For Fun
Meetups are available everytime you leave home!
Meeting other AR Members is as easy as posting on ARups.
My first time was long, long ago in the Chicago area when visiting our son and his family. I had followed Lyn Sims posts for a while. Although an AR member since the year before Lyn and I met, I still had not written any posts! I asked her advice and she gave it to me - "Just sit down and do it!"
Over the years I went to Chicago, Lyn and I alternated visits - one year I went to the suburb of Schaumburg where she lived and one she came into town to Lakeview near Wrigley Stadium.
So much fun to put the real person with the photo you have seen over and over! After meeting Lyn, I began to look for opportunities each time I traveled! Today's post down memory's lane was stimulated by the post from Jan Green entitled Meetups with Out of Town Rainers. Thanks Jan!
When visiting our daughter in the general Boston area, I "sponsored" an ARup in a nearby town.
What does that mean? Easy, I checked the towns of the people whose posts I enjoyed in that area. Then I picked a date and time when I could slip out of family activities for three hours. Next, I emailed or called each person and told them when and where. Didn't ask for RSVP for two reasons:
1. I was going even if only one person joined me.
2. I wanted to be surprised.
Enjoyed my time with the one person who showed up. Fascinating woman - lawyer and REALTOR - Christine Smith. I really enjoyed learning about her decision to add real estate as a career after Christine Smith was already in practice as an attorney.
Another person called me after the ARup in the Boston area and said she wished she had come instead of having done something else. "Why," I wondered? It turned out she fell and broke a bone where she went instead! Guess if I do another ARup in the Boston area, she will think twice before refusing to join us!
Had the opportunity to meet Jay Markanich in Arlington VA. Jay was a delight to spend time with as we discussed work and mutual acquaintances such as Cindy Jones and even our adult adopted children! We found out we both speak Spanish as our second language. He shared stories from his inspections that we so interesting for me to hear. Here's his Blog link.
Another adventure was setting up an ARup with Margaret Rome, Baltimore Maryland when my husband and I traveled to her city. We met them for lunch and discovered that the two men had attended the same university! Imagine ...
Here's Margaret getting ready for her weekly radio show about homes. Callers ask her a wide variety of questions.
In Philadelphia for a wedding, I called Hannah Williams and she came to meet me at our hotel in Center City. We had so much fun together that we met again the next time I visited the Philadelphia area.
This time I took the Blue Line train to her Bucks County area. After she picked me up, we stopped at what has to be a "ONE-OF-A-KIND" dessert location.
Who else? Well, not very far but I traveled 90 miles or so to meet Tammy Lankford, in Eatonton GA. A worthwhile adventure for me to be sure!
In the meantime, since in Atlanta, we say that when someone dies, whether they are going to Heaven or to Hell, they will still have to change planes in Atlanta, I decided to capitalize on the hub and begin meeting people here as they passed through town.
Attending a meeting one day was Bob Stewart . I arranged my schedule to be sure to greet him. It was delightful to see him in person!
Bruce Hicks and his wife came to Atlanta on the way to a family event in the Carolinas. Jordon Wheeler and I met them for dinner and had a great time together.
NEXT???? Who will be next, you ask? In January 2018, Sally and David Hanson will be in the Atlanta area. We have already decided to meet and I will invite other 'Rainers who live in the Metro Atlanta area as well.
I hadn't realized I had benefited from so many chances to meet other 'Rainers until I started recounting them here. Thanks again for the writing stimulus Jan! Going over the memories has been fun!
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