Since I was in the 5th grade, I’ve had a penpal from Japan named Tomomi.  That’s when penpal was literal because there was no such thing as email. 

We’ve shared life together through correspondence all these years (reuniting once in college when she got to meet Mike) and now we both have children close to the same age as well.  Noelle loves talking about Japan and Yuuki, and now that the Eberts are there, it makes it all the more exciting!