Introverted by nature because she’s agoraphobic (fear of crowded places or enclosed public spaces), and suffering from anxiety attacks, 51-year-old romance novelist ArLynn Presser from Winnetka, Illinois spends most of her adult life in the confines of her home. As a matter of fact, she has hardly even ventured out of her home town.
But thanks to Facebook, ArLynn has, over the years, secured herself 325 friends. On the 31st of December 2010, she made the brave New Year’s resolution to meet all 325 of her Facebook friends in person. The daunting task would require her to get on a plane and fly. Eep!
But she overcame even that and by the end of 2011, ArLynn met 292 friends (90% of what she had intended to) after traveling over 13 countries including Taiwan, Korea, Philippines, Dubai, Italy, Malaysia (Yay! She was here!), Ireland, England, and Germany.
Guess how many flights she took in total? Over 39 flights!
ArLynn did mention, however, that of the 325 people she had decided to meet, a few were actually not keen on her idea of “meeting” and unfriended or blocked her. A total of 18 people ignored her repeated requests to meet. But despite all the problems she faced, ArLynn did seem to have some memorable, wonderful moments.
And now, her incredible experience has inspired “Face to Facebook”, a documentary about Facebook, anxiety, and the power of social media to inspire great personal change:
For more information go visit her Facebook profile and maybe, just maybe, she’ll come meet you too!
