I’m feeling mighty sentimental right now, so I figure this is as good a time as any to reveal that today is the anniversary of The Boondock Betties.

It started off kind of like a joke. Really. Not the self deprecating humor type, just the “I can’t fucking believe that just happened” variety. The girls that were initially tossed into the group were strong and refused to submit to the lamest internet predator ever. Superlame. But, you know what? I hope that whoever she really is, she got the help that she so desperately needed… or at least some jail time.

Anyways, what followed for me was another boring Christmas. But wait! Twitter was all aflutter (and Drea’s lewd comments had me laughing so hard). I couldn’t believe it. I found these girls that, despite all of our enormous differences, worked. Soon enough, more and more girls were being added to the fray. The meshing of right and left wing politics, the vast difference in education and employment – none of it mattered.

Behind our keyboards and computers, we are allowed to connect at a much deeper level than I have ever witnessed before. Some of us have a crippling fear of meeting new people. With all of the nastiness that happens on the internet (that is reported on the news), keeping yourself protected becomes a compulsion. In March, however, I was able to make a party up in Boston. I took a friend (that subsequently joined the Betties after) because I was worried about meeting these people on my own. My fears were completely off base the moment that I met the first Bettie in real life. She opened her hotel room door. It was as if we were old friends. Nothing beat that excitement. The hug. The grinning.

The evening progressed and I met a bunch of other Betties. I regret activating my photographer-mode, but I did get some excellent shots of the event. I didn’t get to spend a lot of time with everyone. Returning to the hotel resulted in a less than stellar nightcap. But you know what? My respect for the people that I was with increased ten-fold.

It is hard to believe that the Betties are just one year old today. There has been so much travel and so much of a connection… It floors me to look back at the person I was and the person I have become. I took a leap of faith, but I was not alone. You were all there holding my hand and jumping along.

Thanks for letting me be outlandish. I hope that I have made a positive difference in your life as you have mine. If I haven’t met you… It’ll happen. Most definitely.

Oh! And I have uploaded many of the pictures that I have collected throughout the year. They are all located in the new page “Gallery” in the top navigational bar (or you can just click here).

I would also be remiss if I failed to mention how thrilled I was to be able to spend some time getting to know Angela. I hope that the subsequent ass I made of myself was at least an endearing one.

Much Love,

Ali aka “Fearless Leader”

Please leave a comment about your experience this past year, or if you’re new… What you’re most looking forward to in the future.