Back in the early 1980s, we had an exchange student from New Zealand at Sandpoint High School. Even though she was not enrolled in my class, I became acquainted with Sally over the course of the semester. Upon hearing she was returning to New Zealand, I begged her to find me a penpal.
For years, I'd been fascinated with the Land Down Under, so I believed that having a direct connection with someone who actually lived there would be the next best thing to being there. Not long after Sally left, I received a long hand-written letter from a lady named Robyne Jolly.
Turns out Robyne was Sally's older sister. Like me, she was married and the mother of two children. In her case, the children were daughters, Giselle and Sarah. Her husband Steve was a surveyor who liked to bike and sail. Receiving that letter ignited a desire that would continue for the next twenty years. Some day, I would go to New Zealand and meet my penpal.
We exchanged letters and Christmas presents over the years. Sarah, who was the same age as Annie, sent a stuffed unicorn one year. It still resides in Annie's room. One time Robyne sent me some fur-lined Kiwi booties. My skin reacted to the fur, so I gave them to my dad, and they kept his ever-cold feet warm during the last years of his life.
One day, my daughter Annie told me she wanted to go on an International student exchange through Boise State and that she had put New Zealand as her first choice. I couldn't imagine her being lucky enough to be selected, but her wish came true. In July, 2003, she left Spokane Airport, bound for Auckland, N.Z., and eventually for Hamilton on the North Island where she would attend Waikato University.
Within a month or two, she had the opportunity to visit beautiful Taupo where Robyne and her husband Steve reside. I remember the email after her return and the raving about what nice people they were. She had taken her student friends, and the Jolly's had welcomed them with grace and enthusiasm.
That visit triggered the culmination of my long-held dream. Every time I'd received anything from Robyne over those two decades, I wanted all the more to visit New Zealand. One day, soon after Annie's visit, Robyne called me. That same evening Annie called. Both encouraged me to consider coming.
I asked Bill what he thought.
"Go," he said. "I'll even help pay for it." Within hours, I had arranged a flight to Auckland with plans to spend nearly two weeks visiting. I'd also written a story for the Appaloosa Journal about an Appaloosa owner who lived in the same town where Annie was attending college. She had even purchased and delivered flowers to Annie on her birthday. Her horse ranch was also a farmstay, so we made arrangements to spend three nights with her.
On Oct. 30, 2003, I said good bye to Bill and to Willie (he was moving to North Idaho to begin his job as a reporter) and set off on my own, bound for Auckland and Annie. Nearly 24 hours later, I met her at the airport in one of the happiest reunions of my lifetime.
After visiting the area around Auckland and Hamilton, Annie and I set off on a trip around the North Island with Taupo and the Jolly's as one of the highlights. Meeting Robyne and Steve satisfied all my expectations and more. Immediately, we felt like family. Their warmth, their wonderful hospitality and Robyne's fabulous cooking were incomparable.
One night Robyn pulled out a stack of pictures, featuring the Love family at various stages throughout the prior 20 years. Thumbing through these photos sealed the bond all the more. This lady from this far-off land had kept a record of our family's life, just as I had done of hers.
During our stay, we had the opportunity to meet Sarah but, unfortunately, not Gisele. Since our letter-writing friendship began more than 20 years ago, both of Robyne and Steve's daughters have grown into beautiful young women who have children of their own. Gisele has also distinguished herself on New Zealand's North Isle as a fine opera singer.
In our travels, we also reconnected with Sally who lives on the Pacific Coast of New Zealand with her husband and adorable little boys. I was especially struck to learn that she had traveled to America by herself and had attended Sandpoint High School as a 13-year-old. Certainly fooled me because she seemed equally as mature as our 16-17-year-olds. Later, before settling back in New Zealand, she had spent a few years working in England.
Thanks to Annie, the adventurer of our lot, two longtime penpals finally met. Since then, we've kept in touch but sporadically. I look forward to the day when Bill and I can return the hospitality toward Steve and Robyne. A couple of weeks ago Robyne called. She was writing me a letter and decided it was best to just pick up the phone. During our conversation, she told me she'd soon have email at home.
My first note from her home computer arrived yesterday. Two more, written by Steve, greeted me this morning. So, all I've got to say this morning comes from deep within my heart:
It may be raining and dreary outside, but for me, it's a "Jolly Good Day."
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