Pen Pals

When I was growing up, I had a bunch of pen pals. I acquired most of them through teen magazines, where you filled out a questionnaire and the magazine people would match you up with a pen pal. Every trip to the mailbox would bring wonder and excitement. I had upwards of 10 pen pals - not all at the same time, mind you. Let me see if I can list them, in no particular order.

1. Ann in New Jersey
2. Kim in Massachusetts
3. Beth in Louisiana
4. Gloria in Michigan
5. Michelle in Pennsylvania
6. Maria in Wisconsin
7. Christine in France
8. Emi in Japan
9. Jean in France
10. Kim in Indiana
11. Cecilia in Mexico

I only had the opportunity to meet two of them. Once, when my family was vacationing in Pennsylvania, I met Michelle. And, I went to visit Beth in Louisiana twice, and she came to my house once.

There was a language barrier with Cecilia. I used to bring her letters to our Spanish teacher to decipher. Christine liked practicing her English in letters to me, but Jean did not know English. I was a French student, so it was good practice to read his letters and write back in French.

By the time I was in college, I lost touch with everyone except Beth (she was even in my wedding party). I often wonder how they're all doing. I stumbled across an old address book a few years after college and, on a whim, I called Ann in NJ. Her mother answered the phone and was surprised to get a call for her daughter, as she married and moved years earlier. I explained who I was and she gave me Ann's number. When I called Ann, she was absolutely shocked and thrilled. Thankfully, she remembered me. How embarrassing would that have been if she didn't! LOL

What a blast it would have been to visit France and Japan and have my own personal guides. I was too young at the time and didn't have the resources, though.

This blog reminds me of those pen pal days, as I feel I'm getting to know certain individuals as we share thoughts and converse through our comments. And I smile :o)