niels.

i don't know how many of you know this. but i have a pen pal. and i don't talk about him so much. so he gets a blog today. his names is Niels Ternov. and so many times i have spelled it neils. you think us crazy american girls would learn. :) he is eighteen years old and lives in Sweden. you might be thinking... how did this mexican american ever meet a swedish person? well it was by sheer coincidence actually. we were both on holiday. (i'm calling it that now, vacation is such a lame word) in mexico. some of you know that i have mexican relatives, that of all places live in mexico. how unpredictable. well anyway. i was on holiday. he was on holiday. both of our families decided to go to the same ancient lighthouse and beach on the same day at the same time. i remember the very first time i saw him. he was a looker. but he wasn't speaking a recognizable language. there was a shuttle to the beach, thirty minutes from the lighthouse, where he, his lovely mother and sister sat next to me and my many sisters. i had a little one on my lap i believe. i wasn't talking too much, except for an occasional spanish phrase to my aunt. my spanish is very rusty. but then half way through the shuttle ride i said something in english to my sister. and shortly after that he started speaking to us. he didn't think we spoke english. and we didn't think he spoke english. how funny. well... we started a conversation and we all became fast friends. we talked the rest of the shuttle ride, and at the beach. they invited me to go snorkling with them. but i said i'd stay with my sisters. secretly i was afraid of the water. but that's not what i said. well, we went our seperate ways for a few hours. i remember his sister coming up to me and asking me if i had seen niels. but i hadn't. he had gone farther out snorkling, and hadn't come back to the beach yet. when he did get back to the beach he told us about a run in with a barracuda. he was wearing a shiny watch that had attracted the little bugger. the rest of the story was wishy washy, but we were all glad he was safe. then i went and ate some dinner with my family. my sister and i decide we should exchange emails with him. so i got up and he was walking towards us. he asked me if we cared to exchange email addresses. i love how foreign people are so on top of things and up front. so we did. and deep down i was hoping that he'd email me. so we wouldn't lose contact. he and i both knew we were going to be great friends. and he did email me. that next day. and i was so glad. after that day on the beach i have never seen him in person again. but we have talked. for two years almost. in july. we aren't as good at emailing each other as of late because we are so busy all the time. we are both graduating. so it has been so long. but some things are more important than talking to an old friend. i really trust him. and it is easy to. because he lives in sweden and i live here. and there is not one person he could tell my secrets to that i would care about them knowing. we are going to meet again someday. i know it. deep down. which sounds strange. but even if we are old and shriveled i think we will meet again.