Five years ago today I sent the instant message that would change my life forever. I was relatively new to the internet and completely new to ICQ and the like, and I had set a rather frenetic pace chatting with strangers far and wide. I also used the program to keep in touch with “real-life” friends, of course, but back in those days I was working the 3-11pm shift at the U.S. Postal Service and by the time I got home from work and logged on to ICQ, most everyone local to me was already in bed. It was only natural, then, that I would begin talking to Europeans, who were just starting their days as mine was winding down.

In the wee hours of May 2, 2000 I sent a simple greeting — “good morning” — to someone in Stockholm who called himself Alhambra. (And yes, I still remember with a vague sense of annoyance that I accidentally left the “g” uncapitalized and hit “send” before I noticed it — what kind of way is that to make a good first impression?). He was in a chatty mood, just getting to work and sitting behind his desk with a breakfast sandwich, and we struck up a lively conversation that lasted until he left the office for lunch. By the time we signed off, I was hooked.

And I still am.