{"id":70782,"date":"2024-03-30T14:42:46","date_gmt":"2024-03-30T18:42:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.therockysafari.com\/?p=70782"},"modified":"2024-03-30T17:25:52","modified_gmt":"2024-03-30T21:25:52","slug":"tcl-chicago-clubhouse-meetup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.therockysafari.com\/2024\/03\/30\/tcl-chicago-clubhouse-meetup\/","title":{"rendered":"I Flew to Chicago to Meet 30 Strangers From the Internet: Here’s What Happened"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In the heart of 2021, amidst the lingering echoes of a world paused by a pandemic, I embarked on a journey to meet up with a group of people I found online and was rewarded with the warmth of newfound friendships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In theory, I was doing everything my middle school teachers taught me not to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The concept of forming profound bonds without ever meeting in person might seem peculiar to some. Yet, here I am, recounting a tale of how a simple app called Clubhouse led me to venture into the Midwest to meet a group of “strangers” from the internet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meet the Traveler’s Chill Lounge (TCL)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

These were no ordinary “strangers”, though; they were friends I had made through my phone in a virtual Clubhouse room we fondly called “The Traveler’s Chill Lounge.”<\/p>\n\n\n

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It was September, a time when the digital corridors of a social audio app called Clubhouse still buzzed with life, helping bridge the gaps of isolation we faced during the era of social distancing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Nostalgic Trip Down Clubhouse Lane<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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For those unfamiliar, Clubhouse burst onto the scene as an invite-only audio chat app, creating a buzz for its novel and exclusive approach to social interaction: social audio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Essentially, Clubhouse was a way for users to enjoy voice-based group discussions in digital rooms where discourse would generally revolve around a specific topic noted in the room’s name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A lot of the initial buzz surrounding Clubhouse revolved around the presence of notable public figures and celebrities using the app to make spontaneous guest appearances. If you had an invitation to be on the platform, you theoretically also had a shot at having a conversation with these people directly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I still remember the moment I was invited to join, I was so excited to begin a new challenge. Initially, I used Clubhouse to practice public speaking, something that I found a bit intimidating as an introvert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clubhouse Lingo<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The lingo itself was a world of its own – phrases like “let’s reset the room,” “PTR” (pull to refresh), and more. Since I’m already reminiscing, let’s dive a bit deeper into Clubhouse Lingo (please note: this is based on 2021 lingo, since that was when I was primarily active on Clubhouse.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At times, it felt like learning another language:<\/p>\n\n\n\n