<human>: I'll keep it short and sweet: basically, I met a guy online (via Twitter) about nine months ago. I had just moved abroad and I was tweeting about my difficultly adjusting. He reached out to me personally and offered some words of wisdom based on his on expat experience. We became friends after that. 

I was "dating" someone else at the time, so although I considered him a friend, our interactions were limited. Guy and I didn't work out; friend was there for me while I got over my heartbreak. And we really bonded after then. We started talking more over GChat, we did Google Hangout video chats, started talking on the phone. 

It hit me like a ton of bricks that I just might like this dude and have feelings for him. But I'm scared because I've been in a situation like this before and it crumbled. I don't want that to be the outcome this time. This guy is really special. I head back to the States next month and we've planned to meet for the first time. 

How do I keep my head on straight and my emotions from going haywire leading up to this meeting and (the possible fallout) after? Anyone ever been through something like this before?

Provide a brief overview of the text.
<bot>: I've developed a crush on an online friend over the past nine months. We will meet soon and I need advice on how to compartmentalize it all.