Meeting online friends or penpals from another country
By Porcospino
@Porcospino (31366)
Denmark
February 28, 2013 2:15am CST
Have you ever met an online friend or a penpal from another country? Did you visit them in their country or did they visit you in your country? How did the meeting turn out?
So far I have only met online friends from my own country, but in the future I hope to meet some friends from other countries as well. In the past I had many snail mail penpals and I met some of them. Two of my German friends visited me in Denmark. Both visits went well. We visited some of the local tourist attractions together and we had a great time together.
In Italy I visited one of my penpals. I lived in her home for about a week and her family was very, very nice to me and showed me a lot of places in their local area. My penpal and I spoke English together, because I didn't speak Italian at that time, and my penpal translated the conversations between me and the rest of the family because they only spoke Italian. When I was living in Estonia for a while I visited my Estonian penpal. He was also very nice to me and we spent some nice days together.
2 people like this
15 responses
@enelym001 (8322)
• Philippines
28 Feb 13
I have met an online friend before in my country. But an online friend from another country - never did experience that yet. There is a married couple whom I've known before through blogging that wishes to meet me personally. But I guess that would happen if me and them is in one country only.
Glad to know that you have enjoyed meeting personally few penpals/online friends you got!
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
28 Feb 13
It is much easier and cheaper and visit online friends from our own country. Like you I have met online friends from my own country. Two of them have become my close friends offline. In the past I had many penpals from around the world and I am very happy that I had the chance to meet some of them in my country or in their countries. It is always interesting to meet in person. If we have been a touch for a long without meeting in person, it is exciting to meet face-to-face and chat in person. I hope to meet online friends from other countries in the future for instance a couple of my Mylot friends.
@enelym001 (8322)
• Philippines
28 Feb 13
Yes indeed it is exciting meeting friends you've emailed or chat with a lot. I also would love to meet some myLot friends if given a chance.
1 person likes this
@agmamayo (804)
• Philippines
1 Mar 13
You are very lucky my friend because you were able to earn good friends from other countries and even had a chance to meet and visit some of them. Actually I envy you, because me too, I have several friends from other countries although I haven't had a chance to meet them in person nor visit them in their home countries. It really takes a lot of time, effort, money and chance to really have a good moment with your new found friends from other countries. Anyway, kudos to you my friend I hope that In the near future you will be able to visit even more of your friends and take a tour around the world, keep those memories and adventures alive my friend.
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@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
10 Mar 13
I am very happy that I had the chance to meet those friends from other countries. It is always exciting to meet a friend from another part of the world. I live in Europe and it is relatively easy to travel to another European country, that was one of the reasons why I was able to meet my friends from other European countries 
It is much more expensive to visit a friend who lives very far away from us. In the future I hope to meet some my online friends from other parts of the world, it will take me a long time to save up for those trips, but it will be very exciting when we finally get the chance to meet 
It is much more expensive to visit a friend who lives very far away from us. In the future I hope to meet some my online friends from other parts of the world, it will take me a long time to save up for those trips, but it will be very exciting when we finally get the chance to meet 
@lkbooi (16070)
• Malaysia
1 Mar 13
Hi Porcospino, even though I have some online friends in different places and countries I still haven't had any chance to meet any of them. It's really hard to take time off or have suitable time that both sides are free and convenient to meet each other. I would be a great pleasure as well to meet our penpals 
no matter they are
local people or foreigners
Happy posting
no matter they are local people or foreigners
Happy posting 1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
1 Mar 13
Yes, it can be a challenge to find a suitable time to meet when both people have busy lives with many activities. If we want to meet a person who lives in the other end of the world it is even more complicated because we also have to pay for a plane ticket to another country. I have met some of my penpals in the past, but I live in Europe and so did all my penpals and that things a little easier. It would require more planning to visit a friend who lives far away from my country, but I hope to do that in the future when I manage to save up the money for the trip. There are many online friends that I would like to visit one day
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
1 Mar 13
For me it has never been that I've actually had the opportunity to go visit penpals in the country that they came from. In fact, I never started a traditional penpalship, but rather became a pen pal with someone that had done a foreign exchange at either one of the high schools in my area or had been an exchange student at the college that I went to.
I would, however, love to visit some of those girls on their turf at some point because I've not really had all that much opportunity for overseas travel throughout the course of my life.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
10 Mar 13
I think that it is a great idea to keep in touch with people who have been exchange students in your area. My family was hosted an exchange student from Australia 15 years ago and today we still keep in touch her. I hope to visit her in Australia one day. It would be nice if you get the chance to visit some of those girls one day, I hope that you will be able to do that. I used to have a lot of penpals. That was before the internet and we exchanged handwritten snail mail letters. It was a lot of fun and I was always excited when I found a letter from one of my penpals. Today I only write emails, but sometimes I miss the old snail mail letters.
@joanamarienieva (160)
• Philippines
1 Mar 13
When I was in High School. I've met my penpal but we where in the same country. I can't afford to go outside the Philippines haha..
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
10 Mar 13
How did the meeting with your penpal turn out? Did you get along when you met in person? I have met quite a few penpals over the years and almost every meeting has been a positive experience, but sometimes it is a surprice to meet people face-to-face because they are different from the impression that we got through the letters. I think that is always interesting to meet penpals, but of course it is much easier and cheaper to meet people who live in our own country. I would love to meet some of my online friends from other parts of the world, but I don't think that is going to happen in near future because they live very far away from my country and it would be expensive to visit their countries.
@Raine38 (12257)
• United States
28 Feb 13
I have met some online friends but only when they are in the same country that I am currently in, especially during work. Just making sure that business and pleasure do not mix. 
I also maximize the trip and make sure that I do not get burned out with all the work stuff that is why I always plan meet ups with some friends whenever I am going into their place, or vice versa.
I also maximize the trip and make sure that I do not get burned out with all the work stuff that is why I always plan meet ups with some friends whenever I am going into their place, or vice versa.1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
28 Feb 13
It is a good idea to plan some meetings with friends when you are going to their place. Many of my friends live in other parts of the country and when I visit that part of the country I call them and ask if they want to meet. Next week I am going to visit a part of the country where one of my friends lives and I look forward to meeting him while I am there. That way I also make good use of the time whule I am there.
@lynboobsy11 (11343)
• Philippines
28 Feb 13
I have a discussion last december about a friend of mine who she met online decided to go and travel here in our country just to met and to know each other. Christmas time when he visit my friend and they spend the holidays here but it did not turn out well. The guy was kind and nice but my friend don't have feelings on him. Well she already clarified it before the guy wants to meet her but they separate being a friend.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
28 Feb 13
I think that I read that discussion. The guy must have been very iterested in meeting her since he decided to travel your country to meet her. I think that it was the right decision to clarify that she didn't have feelings for him otherwise he might have met her with the wrong expections. I have never travelled to another country to visit an online friend, but I would like to do that in the future. In the past when I had snail mail penpals I met some of them and I had a great time with them. I think that it could be interesting to meet some of my online friends as well. Maybe I will get the chance to do that in the future.
@laydee (12798)
• Philippines
28 Feb 13
Wow! You really got busy there! I have met several online friends but it was just in the same country. It was great though and we still keep in touch. I haven't met my online friends who are in another country though, but I sure wish I could do that someday. Hehehe we always talk about it but plans haven't really been solid. But someday I really hope so.
Have a great mylot experience ahead.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
28 Feb 13
It is more expensive and it requires more planning to meet a friend from another country, but can be a great experience. I am very happy that I had the chance to meet my snail mail penpals in the past and in the future I hope to meet some of my online friends from other countries. Like you I have met some of my online friends from my own country. One of those meeting took 9 years ago and today we are close friends offline. I met another friend 6 years ago and we have also become very good friends offline. I hope that you will get the chance to meet online friends from other countried in the future
@annierose (18939)
• Philippines
28 Feb 13
Hi Porcospino,
I have a Chinese friend whom I met on livemocha, a language site. That time I was studying Spanish and he was studying English. We don't talk much so when he told me that he wants to visit our country, I was quite intrigue. Somehow I felt afraid too. My friends warned me about him since it had been only a month that I had a talk with him. They say that he might have some hidden motives. Well, I don't think so that he wanted to court me and I am really in doubt with him. My friends are so negative about him that is why I felt the same. However, when he arrived here, it turns out to be the opposite. He is one of the nicest guy I have met. He is kind, thoughtful and sweet. My family, colleagues and neighbors like him to for he was fun to be with. He stayed with us for two months and I can say that those days are days that I won't forget for the rest of my life. In my heart, I am hoping that we will meet again in person.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
28 Feb 13
Thanks for sharing your story. I am happy to hear that the meeting became such a positive and memorable experience. He sounds like a really nice person. I do understand your friends' concern because some people are very different when you meet them in real life. On the other hand we lose out on so much if choose not to meet people from the internet at all. I think that we should be careful, but we shouldn't reject meetings online friends completely. I have met two of close friends on the internet. We were online friends at first and now we have been offline friends for 9 years and 6 years. I am very happy that I chose to meet them.
@stanley777 (9402)
• Philippines
1 Mar 13
That was really a nice experienced, how I wish I could do that too. Meeting my online and pen friends would be really be a fun-tastic and exciting thing to do. As of now I have not planned it yet but maybe in the future especially my friends from other countries. It could be a bit expensive though but I guess I will try it first in my own country or if possible we could meet in my own country.
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@melvinvinz (60)
• Philippines
28 Feb 13
AHHH,,how lovely experience... I haven't tried anything of those.... how i wish i could find also some friends online....
good luck and good bless you and your family...
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@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
28 Feb 13
Thank you I am very happy that I had the chance to meet those people. Those meetings happened many years ago and today I have lost touch with many of them, but I have happy memories from the meetings with them.
I am very happy that I had the chance to meet those people. Those meetings happened many years ago and today I have lost touch with many of them, but I have happy memories from the meetings with them.
@sishy7 (27169)
• Australia
28 Feb 13
I'm not socially active online or through penpal at all... In fact, myLot is probably the only social site I am participating in. And no, I do not know any members here personally at the moment; who knows, maybe someday I will get to meet some offline too...
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
28 Feb 13
I have been active on many different sites in the past, but at the moment I tend to spend my time here on Mylot. I hope to meet some of my Mylot friends in the future. I am in touch with some of my friends outside Mylot and we would like to meet, but it is not easy because we very far away from eachother. Hopefully we will be able to arrange a meeting in the future. That would be great.
1 person likes this
@borgieboy7 (72)
• Philippines
10 Mar 13
I was able to meet a friend from another country. That person is not capable of speaking my native language - which is Filipino. Though he cannot understand my language, I was able to communicate with him. The best thing about meeting him and communicating him in his spoken lingo is that I was able to express myself more confidently. I also learn some of his culture and the country he was residing in.
