YouTube Gathering, 27th July 08

On Sunday 27th July was Kayley's YouTube gathering. www.youtube.com/owlssayhooot.
She came over from America and we all met up for a day and it was seriously brilliant. I got to see people that I met at Nerifest in April and I also made lots of new friends. Not much else to say other than I had another incredible YouTube related day, but I think we all know that one paragraph is impossible for me to constrict myself to. So here's my train of thought round about now.

www.youtube.com/missxrojas.
The first vlog I ever watched on YouTube was Rosi's vlog about how she hated the fact that Emma Watson had been digitally enhanced in some promo posters. This video, along with her others that I went on to watch affected me a lot. They totally inspired me to start making vlogs, Harry Potter related ones to be precise. Without my Deathly Hallows vlog, I would never have got featured and most likely not have carried on making videos and gaining subscribers. So I have always known that Rosi is the person I owe for how much YouTube has changed my life. I've wanted to meet her ever since I first saw her videos over a year ago, and on Sunday, I got to. All I can say is that she is so lovely and I remember thinking when I first found her channel "I bet me and her would get on really well". I think I was right. I wish I had told her how much she changed my life but it didn't occur to me at the time to, just because we were all chatting about normal, teenagerish stuff, not about YouTube. In a sense, the whole gathering was AROUND YouTube but not about it. Yeah, lots of people had their cameras out, but we were there as friends, not internet buddies.
Despite the fact that this was my fourth YouTube-related meet up, I still find it really hard to process in my head that I am meeting up with people from the internet. This is because a year ago, my confidence would never have allowed me to do this. But now, I can't imagine life any other way. I'm sure you're all fed up of hearing me go on about how much YouTube has changed me as a person, but it just becomes more and more prominent as the weeks go on.
For me, the word COMMUNITY is defined by YouTube. People, who sometimes have no more than one thing in common, making friends for life. We're brought together by the fact that we love people and videos. Obviously there's subcommunities, like Harry Potter, but primarily, it is video blogging.

And I do love it so very, very much.

Meeting up with friends you've made on the Internet should be more positively portrayed by the media.

It's been a long time since I've done just a general blog about my day, but since today was an awesome one, I think it is blog-worthy.

Kate and I met up with James (www.youtube.com/j0ames) and it was a well good day. We just mooched around London insulting eachothers' families and trying to get eachother run over mainly. We went to the Trocodero and I SOOOOOOOO nearly beat James at some Mario thingy. And then he gambled with my money so now he owes me a blue Slush Puppy. And then we went to China Town for a bit of culture. And we also went to the Apple Store to make another video there which was rather amusing. And in Hamley's there was this HILARIOUS song playing, it was like "My name's Katrina, it's a very nice name!" Blates was jokes. But what was not funny was when Kate was throwing Nerds across Cafe Nero, that was so embarrassing! I thought we were going to get kicked out or something!! Can't take you anywhere Kate!! :P

So that's the general gist of things, but going a bit more in depth, I would just like to say that it is days like today that make me really adore YouTube even more. And no, it's not just because I've gained seven new subscribers :P It's because if it wasn't for YT I would never have met James. He's really awesome and it just goes to show that there are so many people out there that you can be really good friends with, you just have to find them.

And then obviously there is Kate who has been one of my best friends for a few years now. We've never really spent much time by ourselves together but after this morning when we went on our little shopping trip, I definitely want to do it again. We always have such a laugh, and Kate, I'm so glad you share my love for YouTube.

I love you James and Kate, thanks for an amazing day <3

The Right Book

Once you find The Right Book, you'll find yourself totally absorbed. You forget who you actually are, where you actually are, what you actually are. It's as if nothing else matters. It's as if no one else exists. It's as if the only thing happening in the world is the story. You start reading and before you know it, four hours have gone by. You forget everything about your life, all the problems, all the people. It's all about the words on the paper. It's the best feeling in the world.