In a small country like Guatemala, children are encouranged to do good in school, and to take extra courses on music, languages or sports to become a good grown up.

Back in my days - and actually it wasn't that long ago - there was little time for anything else. My parents enrolled me to learn English. "It is the tool of the future" they said. Boy were they right!

English came in handy at school, in the University and at work... how about in my personal life? When the Internet became the popular tool it is today, I thought to find a way to use it to "meet" people from far away countries. Chatrooms? not to me, I wanted a way with which I could meet real people, real friends.

I began searching about good old letters. They were called "snail mail" what an interesting term! and inevitably, I learned about pen palling.

I was 28 years old - not the common age for people to start pen palling - and it was May of 2005. My life has never been the same, and it's not a hobby anymore. It's a part of who I am.

Today, two years later, I have found the most amazing friends - not another pen pal in my own country though - and I hope with all that I am to keep writing, keep my friends, and keep finding people around the globe FOREVER.