The first I ever heard about texting was over ten years ago in Germany.  I didn’t have a cell phone, but all the kids were SMS schicken.

Now, everybody texts.  I’m not great at it.  1) I tend to forget to keep my cell phone on me.  2) I like to make definite plans.  If I hear things like, we’ll text you when we’re heading out, my head might explode.  3)  I don’t like being character restricted.  This is why I do like email.  I guess I could just send ridiculously long texts, or multiple texts, but I probably wouldn’t get the type of responses I wanted and would frustrate everyone.

But now I’m back in Europe.  I have a cell phone this time.  I’m trying to make new friends.  And this seems to mean texting.

I met a really nice girl at a BBQ.  We exchanged numbers.  Her family came to Henry’s birthday party.  I meant to text her later to say thank you, but she beat me to it.  I wasn’t playing coy; I swear, I’m just really bad at this.  I agonized over how to respond.  I wanted to be witty and likeable.  I wanted to suggest making plans, but I didn’t want to crowd the text.  I may have ended up using a highly embarrassing word such as “holler.”  I immediately texted back to apologize for using the word “holler.”  You could call this a rookie mistake, but at least it felt more like me.  Doing something and then over-thinking it is pretty classic Melissa.  It worked!  She laughed.  Or at least her text said she did.  We had a nice conversation.  This reminds me, I probably need to text her again . . .

Another new friend texted out of the blue to say she had a song stuck in her head.  This made me feel nice.  Someone is thinking about me!  I then spent way too much time agonizing over a response.  The takeaway: texting is not just for making plans.  I should reach out more just because I feel like it.

This weekend continued the “dating” adventures.  Saturday was supposed to be a group date at the zoo.  But the other people couldn’t make it.  It would have been the perfect setup in a romcom, but in reality, it was just more screaming toddlers.  I think it went well.  We may get to go out again sometime.  Henry had fun.  The zoo was pretty cool.  (And you know I changed diapers on a bench. #placesmysonsjunkhasbeen)  You can get very close to an exhibit with more than 40 monkeys.  I could have watched them all day.

Ready to see some animals

The awesome monkey island

More monkeys

Henry, new friend, & creepy photobomber

Sunday was the speed dating.  Really more like a mixer, I guess.  The Ladybirds English-speaking playgroup had a kickoff lollipop hunt at Villa Borghese.  I came with a friend, but we were determined to mingle.  It was a tough room.  Picture about 50 kids running around with parents running after them.

Intimidating, right?

But I did meet a few nice people.  No numbers exchanged, but we talked about connecting on facebook and I’ll hopefully see them at the weekly playgroup.

Henry quickly grasped the hunt concept

Always sweet to be the mom of the “kid in the fedora”

Where my lollipops?

In sum, I will work more diligently on this modern thing known as texting.  But I’m glad I met James before it took off.