Hanoi is fast becoming a preferred destination. Not only my recent golf trip there was memorable, but it was there that I managed to meet up with an old friend from my college days! It was not coincidental but planned.
More than three decades have flown by since leaving Northern Arizona University. We were both pursuing the same degree, a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design then. We had the same classes, the same lecturers, and all. Upon graduation, we parted ways, each following her career paths and dreams. Years flew by, and we lost touch.
Thanks to technology and social media, specifically Facebook, we reconnected and kept in touch now and then online. It was recently when my dear friend talked about her bucket list trip to Asia that mooted the meeting in-person idea.
Bangkok was the initial city to meet, but the timing clashed with Chinese New Year and the Reunion Dinner occasions for me. However, all was not lost, as I had a golf trip to Hanoi and decided to adjust the dates to coincide with her arrival. And after some changes, she swapped her hotel choice to my hotel to save commuting time because we found a window! Isn’t it wonderful?
Words cannot describe the feeling when we finally met on the second last day of both our trips. It was an emotional moment when the hotel elevator doors opened, and I saw this towering person with a familiar face inside! I had tears of joy upon the bear hug.
We had five precious hours together and couldn’t stretch it any longer because both had flights to catch home the next day. Friendship is beautiful and precious only if we put our hearts into it. These days, distance or time differences are not an issue because we can connect online, on the phone, or eventually, in person.
Let’s not wait decades-long again to catch up with old friends. We can meet in my country, your country, or any country mid-way!
Angieneering 
Remarks