Noel

Tomorrow will be a good day. My best friend, Noel, will be arriving from Xalapa, Mexico, and I will be picking him up at the airport tomorrow evening. It's been almost a year since he and I have been together. We chat frequently on the computer, but it's not the same as being together in person. We met through a Christian pen pal website where I replied to his ad in February 2003. At the time, he was living in Puebla and working for Coca-Cola. A short time after we met, he moved back to Xalapa and began working for McDonald's as a restaurant manager trainee. We instantly made a connection and it has only grown as the time as passed.

After several weeks of emails and chats, he invited me to visit him in Xalapa. We agreed to meet in Mexico City and met in person for the first time in November 2003. When I exited the airport terminal, I found myself facing a sea of Mexicans. I had seen pictures of him but wasn't sure how I would find him in such a large crowd. Thankfully, he saw me first from his position in the back of the crowd and walked away from the crowd to get my attention. I was easy to spot since I was the only "gringo" exiting the airport doors. From the moment we met, it was like we had been friends for years. We immdiately started talking and began a lifetime journey of friendship.

Since that time, we have spent many great moments together. There are many memories welling up inside me now...

1) Our time at Catemaco and Salto de Eyipantla. I saw my first Northern Jacana (Jacana spinosa) here and quickly found out that Noel would have no interest in watching birds! (I keep trying!)

2) My first Coatepec-style hotdog and his first Carolina-style hotdog.

3) Walking around Juárez Park and drinking cappuccinos at the Italian Coffee House.

4) Attending Carnival in Veracruz and sitting out in gale-force winds waiting for the next parade to start only to find out after 2 hours that it had been canceled because of the wind!

5) Exploring Acuario de Veracruz

6) Going to the North Carolina State Fair together

7) Having fun at Disneyworld and visiting Ariel at least once a day.

8) Visiting Zempoala and imagining what it was like there while Noel wished he was somewhere else! He doesn't like history! :-)

9) Eating lots of wonderful Mexican food!! My mouth is watering right now for taquitos, esquites, chilaquiles, arracheras, and tacos al pastor!

Each of these moments has allowed us to get to know each other in several different scenarios and has made our friendship that much stronger.

Noel is a very special person. He makes me laugh, and I feel very welcome in his company. He works hard in all he does whether for McDonald's (He's a supervisor with four restaurants now!) or sleeping or looking out for his gringo friend in a foreign country. We are also very different from each other in some ways. He is always in a rush, worries about many things, and doesn't like to be outside of the city limits for very long (He's a city-boy through and through!). I, on the other hand, don't rush, rarely worry about anything and relish being out in the country. I think these qualities make us perfect friends. We mesh with each other in a very complimentary way.

Welcome back to North Carolina, my friend. I am sure we will have a wonderful time together. Get plenty of rest and relaxation and return to Mexico a new man.