5 TIPS

When your girlfriend is a famous blogger

The funny thing is that I never really thought about what it means to be the boyfriend of a famous blogger until Noor asked me (well, actually forced me) to write down some insights. For the last few days, she kept asking me if I had finished my piece and if I understood what a serious task she had given me. What started as an innocent question quickly developed into various incidents where I was reminded of this piece (I felt like a newspaper employee being chased by his editor).

So who am I? I am Sander, Noor's boyfriend Queen of Jet Lags, or Noor (that's how I know her). After she completed her art studies incredibly well, she told me she would become a blogger and I thought only: cool! She then has time to travel with me and earn money with the lifestyle we lead, but I had no idea she would end up in such a success story. The enthusiasm and effort she puts into her blog is admirable and her work ethic is contagious. So let's put all jokes aside, I can say that I am incredibly proud of her results so far, that I look forward to the future, and that I feel honored to contribute to that future (even if it's just a tiny bit). So she asked me if I wanted to give advice when you are the boyfriend of a blogger, so here are 5 things to keep in mind when dating a famous blogger.

Speak the language

When Noor tells me about still lifes, collaborations, half and full body shots, and digital identities, I can now say that I understand 90% where she is coming from. Only a new word comes up every few months, so what I do is nod my head without a doubt and pretend I completely understand what she is talking about. After the conversation, I immediately look up that new word to know what it means. The last word I had to do that with was “knolling,” which is a new word for a still life (so a flat composition of things like sunglasses, usually combined with a breakfast waiting to be eaten. By me, of course).

Be patient

When you date a blogger, it sometimes means that time has to stand still for the perfect photo. This is especially a huge test when your food arrives and you are really hungry. You cannot start on your food until the perfect photo has been taken, and this can take a number of test shots and thus minutes (minutes that feel like hours when you are a hungry man). My advice: give her the time. It’s not worth the argument and sometimes it even means a free meal if the restaurant is smart enough to recognize the marketing value.

Learn how to take a good photo

You really don’t have to be Mario Testino, but it helps if you learn a few tricks about the basic rules of photography. At some point in your relationship, you will be asked if you want to take the photo, and you better be well prepared. I secretly went to a photography school in New York, but I didn’t tell Noor that (she thought I had shows in America). Now I modestly accept a compliment about my photography and think back to the 100 hours of lessons I had for that. Of course, that photography school is just a joke, but if you think it can help you, it’s handy to pick up a few things regarding photography. When you know more about the subject, you will also be rewarded more than just holding a door open for her or being nice.

Understand women's issues

Dating a blogger comes with many extras, but there are also a few things you need to understand regarding “normal” women’s issues. The problems below should be multiplied by 10 when talking about a blogger. So if the following happens, I suggest you seek cover or find shelter (you can create a secret part in your house where you can hide):

– she has a bad hair day (just leave her alone for 8 hours to cool off, don’t try to ‘fix’ it, because that will only make it worse)

– pimples or other facial issues (I refer you to “bad hair day”)

– running out of a battery in the middle of a shoot (this one can be deadly. I suggest you ALWAYS have an extra battery with you, or two)

– any type of computer problem (don’t try to fix it if you are not 1000% sure you can make it, because before you know it, it’s all your fault)

– WiFi problems (JUST RUN AWAY… I REPEAT… RUN… GRAB YOUR STUFF AND RUN AWAY)

They have nothing to wear

This is a very normal blogger problem. Even though they have 3000 clothes in their closet, they always say they have nothing to wear. If your blogger girlfriend says she has enough clothes, it’s high time to worry about her mental health, because trust me, something is really wrong then.

But if you can handle all these problems, you genuinely have the best girlfriend you could wish for: always up-to-date with the latest trends, she always receives the best upgrades and extras, free hotels, lots of gadgets, and you have someone you can follow around the world without ever having a boring day. I can honestly say that I am incredibly proud to stand next to her. But I always carry a secret battery, just to be safe…

Written by Sander Kleinenberg, Noor de Groot's boyfriend

(Queen of Jet Lags)

Opmerking: Sander Kleinenberg cannot complain about attention either, as he works with the biggest stars in the world and has been flying for 15 years as a successful DJ around the world. Check out his latest work for Madonna and a cool track with disco legend Gwen McCrae.