Online romance and cyber relationships are very exciting and fun. But when taking it to the next level to meeting and making it real, it is time to have some safety rules in mind. While you are in the flirtation stage online, the possibilities are endless. But we forget the great advantage of online romance is you always have that shield of the internet to protect you. That is why you can conduct yourself with such abandon. They cant get to you, do not know the real you or where you are.

Then the time comes. You like this person a lot. They make you laugh, cry, feel all squishy inside so you want to make that contact and take the relationship into the real world and start adding eyes, faces, hands and bodies to the joy your minds have had flirting online. Well, make sure your warning signals go off like gangbusters when that happens because the first three words of moving it to that next level are safety, safety, safety. Follow these guidelines to make sure that transition is safe and enjoyable.

Take your time and get to know them:

If they are in a big rush to meet in person, that is a red flag that something is not right. Exchange a lot of emails and spend plenty of time in IM chatting and learning all about not only each others personal lives, but your views on things and reactions to circumstances. This gives you chances to look for inconsistencies in their story, which would imply they are posing for you, or to detect positive or negative personality traits as they relate how they handled situations in their daily lives.

Get a photo. Get lots of photos:

Your potential lover should be very open with you about their looks. So not only get a photo or two that shows them in their best light, begin making and exchanging slice of life photos that are very current so you know this is the real person who is flirting with you. An ideal way to learn of each others looks that beats all others next to actual meeting is to have webcam to webcam chats so you can see their face, hear their voice, and begin to memorize their adorable facial language and expressions.

Talk on the phone, frequently:

There is so much you can learn from listening to her talk or hearing his voice. Their reactions to you are immediate and the sound of their emotions cannot be faked. The sound of their laughter is music in your ears, particularly if that laughter is full of affection for you. Talking on the phone builds the relationship by leaps and bounds. Now you can do this without disclosing your home phone number which would give the person sufficient information to find out your address. You can use a cell phone or voice over internet, or even voice activated chat to fill that same need to hear your sweetheart talk.

Choose a public place and have an escape route:

When the time comes to meet, make that first meeting in a public place like a mall, park, or amusement park. Do not have them pick you up, go there yourself so you have a means to get out of there if things go badly. Make sure others know you are going on the date and maybe go as far as having a friend call you on your cell phone midway through the date and you can have a coded signal. For example, if you say the word rosebud, they should come get you or set up your escape. Hopefully your date will be so full of surprise, delight, and romance that you will never want to leave him or her, but having the option gives you that sense of security and safety that allows both of you to explore your relationship at leisure.

It does not hurt to share your concerns for safety with them in your chats online before the meeting. If they care about you and they have the common sense you want in a lover, they will totally agree and work out some ground rules for how to proceed that you can both live with. Then when you do meet the fun and excitement can set off fireworks because you have laid the groundwork for a safe relationship and one that has everything it needs to grow and blossom into love.