The reason we traveled to Canada was because Andrew, I friend I made in Belgium in 1988 and who lives in Australia had a two-day layover in Toronto. He decided to spend the layover in Niagara Falls. Catching up with Andrew made me feel 18 again, while at the same time it hit me we met 34 years ago. Since meeting as exchange students we went home, went to college, met the loves of our lives, began careers, had children, and bounced back to each other.
During our visit we talked as if no time had passed, while also catching up on what has happened since 1988.
When we were 18 Andrew from Australia and Becky from Chicago became quite the item. In my mind I thought they married and had children. I wondered where they were living -- here or there. How did they make their relationship last? I pondered these questions while in Israel and an American woman (Kathryn??) started dating an Englishman named Jake. In their case, though, she already had plans to spend the following semester in Cambridge, so they stood a chance. In Andrew and Becky's case, they were younger and living in the time before texting and cheap means of communicating over international borders.
Through the magic of Facebook I've bonded with his wife, Jo. She was not on this trip, but I look forward to meeting her when we do make it to Australia. I did have the chance to meet his daughter, Emma, who is about the same age as our daughter, who was not on the trip with us. Emma is charming.
It warmed my hear to reconnect after all this time, both as if no time had passed and wanting to continue the connection.
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