MEETING MY EMAIL FRIENDS ON OUR TRIP TO ORLANDO
12th MAY - 2nd June 2002
by Pat

At last, Sunday May 12th 2002 had arrived and here we were about to land at Orlando International airport, my husband John, myself and our friend Ben. It was our 10th visit to Orlando for John and myself and Ben's first, but we always felt excited, like it was our very first time. Ben and I had been friends since I was 17, so 40 years now, after I worked with him and his late wife Marjorie in central London in the 1960's.

We cleared customs and made our way to the luggage collection area, where we were to be met by Fox t.v., along with Ruthe, an e-mail friend that I had been writing to on our Write Seniors website. John Thomas, the site web master had asked if we would mind the t.v. cameras being there, to highlight our Write Seniors site and cover the first meeting between Ruthe and myself after us flying across the Atlantic. I heard someone call my name just by the luggage carousel and of course it was Ruthe, with her little dog Benji at her side. We gave each other a real big hug and Scott, the t.v. camera man recorded our greeting. It was as if Ruthe and I had known each other for years. We still had to collect our hire car, so after about fifteen minutes, we left Ruthe and agreed with Scott that we'd meet up at Ruthe's house on Wednesday 15th for an in depth t.v. interview.

We relaxed for a couple of days and settled in at our rental villa in north Kissimmee, needing to get over our ten hour flight from London, England and enjoy some relaxation by the pool. On Tuesday 14th May, it was our Silver wedding anniversary, so we called Ruthe and asked her if she'd like to join the three of us for a meal. We all got on really well and it gave us a chance to get to know each other a little more and feel more relaxed before our "big" interview the following day at Ruthe's house.

I was told not to wear white, or stripes for the interview, such a shame, because I love to wear white. Oh well, never mind. We arrived at Ruthe's for 10.00.a.m. and Scott the photographer arrived soon after with his assistant. Scott set up an area on Ruthe's patio by the pool, with the lake behind us as a beautiful back drop. The interview went very well….Scott asked us all the right questions and his professionalism put us all at ease. We were able to tell Scott of all the wonderful friendships that were made through the Write Seniors web site, the evidence being in front of him, all thanks to John Thomas and his sister Kelly. The world had been made a smaller place by these two young people. We discussed the chat room, how it gave comfort to seniors who had perhaps lost loved ones and maybe couldn't sleep at night…..there was so often a senior in another part of the world in a different time zone, only too happy to have a chat on-line and so give much needed comfort. Seniors with problems or worries can come to the site/chat room and halve their burden, by sharing it with other seniors. So many benefits, so many to mention and all provided for us free of charge, by John and Kelly! The interview took a couple of hours and had gone really well and it was nice too, that Ben and John had been included.

We now had a couple of days to relax, but not for long, because two days later, on Friday 17th, I planned to fly up to Rochester, New York state, to meet another e-mail friend from our Seniors site. Carol and I had been e-mailing each other just about every day for the past two years, she was pretty special. We were so alike and had become such close friends through our mails. I'd never flown alone before, but there I was, being waved off at the airport by John and Ben, on my way to Rochester. Carol and her husband Sy, met me at the airport and as soon as we met, it was as if we'd known each other for ever. We had so much to chat about, like long lost sisters. I spent four wonderful days with Carol, Sy and their family, being thoroughly spoilt and being made to feel like Queen Elizabeth. I will never forget the time and the laughs that we shared together. She's a very special lady, with a very special family and I feel privileged to have met and stayed with them in their home.

After arriving back at our villa after my trip, again, we had a couple of days of relaxation. On Wednesday, 22nd, another e-mail friend was coming down to stay with us for a few days at the villa, from Tennessee. We met Gayle at the airport and right away, we were all relaxed and good friends. We went for trips out, went out for meals together, or spent lazy days by the pool. On Memorial Day, May 27th, it was my birthday, the four of us went for a nice meal to celebrate. The following day, Ruthe invited John, Ben, Gayle and myself over for a home made pizza and her speciality, pina colada. She wasn't joking….the best pizza and the best pina colada, we'd ever tasted. She had even made me a chocolate cake for my birthday. Then, a really big surprise, Bethe, another e-mail friend in Pennsylvania, had sent me a beautiful towelling gown for my birthday. What a fantastic surprise.

It was sad taking her to the airport, but Gayle had to leave for home on Wednesday 29th, so it was just the three of us again, plus Ruthe and Benji her dog, about 5 miles along the road.

We met up with Ruthe a couple more times and also went along to her grandson Dax' house, to look over his new recording studio and equipment. It was a wonderful experience and another chance to meet Dax' mum, Lynn, (Ruthe's daughter) who we'd only met very hurriedly at the airport on our arrival. What a hospitable family they were and what a pleasurable couple of hours we spent with them. More wonderful American hospitality.

In between all these various activities, visits, trips, celebrations etc., we visited friends in Kissimmee and St. Cloud that we'd made during our previous visits to Florida, so there was never a boring moment.

Sunday 2nd June had arrived and our three wonderful weeks had flown past and it was time to board the 'plane back to London Gatwick.

I'd met THREE fantastic e-mail pals and their families. I'd celebrated my Silver Wedding anniversary, my Birthday and also had two t.v. interviews with Fox t.v. What a fantastic and memorable holiday it was and what WONDERFUL friends I've been lucky enough to make, through Write a Senior Citizen…..my sincere thanks to John and Kelly for the wonderful e-mail friends that we met and the American hospitality that we were shown.

Pat
(from over the pond)