In fall, 2003, a friend and I started corresponding with a woman who lived in London. SF was doing research for a master's degree on Jens Jensen and found us online. Jens Jensen was the founding father of the forest preserve district in Cook County IL. My friend and I volunteer at a forest preserve so SF contacted us to see if we could help with some questions. We three wrote back and forth for 4 months. The thesis was finished and that was that. We thought. Eight years passed. A month ago we heard from SF that she and her husband were coming to the states (to avoid the Olympics) and wanted to meet with us. So today a group of us met them and walked around our preserve for several hours. When she was a child, SF lived on some of the land that is now forest preserve and that we are now restoring. She had a wonderful time exploring and finding places that she remembered. We had a wonderful time seeing her joy. I never had a pen pal as a child. This seems like I have one now. Along with all the bloggers. Aren't we pen pals, too, in a way?