Category: 
The Year in Review - And a Christmas Story
The year 2007 brought me more of the unexpected than I could have imagined. If you were to have told me last year at this time how many new people I would know from all over North America I wouldn’t have believed it. Because of my blogging and internet exposure life changes quickly and dramatically.
I am still in awe, especially during this holiday season. So many people have been so kind to this bumpkin from Bonita Springs. It has caught me off guard. The amount of cards and emails that came to me for the holidays, and even Christmas gifts has floored me. I won’t “out” my gift givers on the net, but I do thank you and appreciate you thinking of little old me. I had planned on going thru the quietest Christmas of my life and was surprised and honored by the thoughtfulness of others.
Usually, I try to be somewhere over the holiday period and didn’t go anywhere this year to spend Christmas with my parents fearing it would be my Mother’s last Christmas, as she has been seriously ill. I stayed put and at the last minute my parents flew back to Cleveland, Ohio to be closer to the Cleveland Clinic. So here I sit in Bonita Springs. I figured it would be just me, the dog and the movie cube at the grocery store.
A few days ago things changed. I mean really changed. I have an outside blog called Life in Bonita Springs. I wouldn’t likely have built it without having spent the last year or so on Active Rain. I was posting so much local information about Bonita Springs on Active Rain I decided to start putting it in my own blog. No I didn’t, Bob Carney actually shamed me into it. (Thanks Bob and thanks to Linda Davis and Sarah Cooper for backing him up.)
This week one of my local posts grabbed the attention of an out-of-towner who contacted me for further information. It turns out that my reader is a college student, but not an average college student. She is from Japan studying in Alabama. She wasn’t able to get her ticket home to Japan for the holiday so she decided to come to Bonita Springs by herself, just for something to do, without a car. How’s that for brass? I found out that her hotel is two blocks from my house and after several emails back and forth I invited her for dinner and she took me up on the offer. We also had lunch today also (after my distance record run), tried to find a post office without horrific lines and learned what the Bass Pro Shop is. By the way, it’s for guys that fish and women that want to wear camouflage Santa hats. Yes, they sell camo Santa hats at Bass Pro Shops and yes, we saw a woman wearing one.
At any rate, the student’s name is Ayumi and she’s just a doll, a real sweet heart. I just wanted to share with you all at Christmas what a great thing my local posts have now brought to me. This was more fun than business!
I’ll do my best to show Ayumi around Bonita Springs, Estero and the finer points of Southwest Florida.
We’ve already hit Riverside Park, Gulfcoast Towne Center and Sushi Thai of Naples. Although she was probably hoping for more local cuisine I told her she went half way around the world to find someone that prefers sushi and Asian food. Next week I promise to take her to the best pizza in Bonita Springs, AA Two Brothers Pizza to meet Sal and Bob. Pizza is her favorite!
Now who would have guessed that a local post about Bonita Springs Florida would help me meet someone from Osaka Japan?
*If you’re a local reading this post, where else should I take Ayumi to experience Bonita Springs. I’m open for suggestions.*
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on Monday, December 24th, 2007 at 6:44 pm
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24 Comments so far
How cool is that. What a great Christmas present.
Our prayers go out to your mom and we want you to know we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
May God Bless!
That is one amazing story of an internet connection. She’s a lucky lady to have found you!
This is amazing Chris, and wonderful, and so are you (congrats on the half Mar btw!). This kind of thing never even ocurred to me as a side benefit to blogging but wow! Merry Christmas to you and hello Ayumi! Something tells me you are in good hands….
Merry Christmas Chris & Ayumi, hope you have a wonderful one.
Ayumi could not have chosen a better person to show her around Bonita Springs and as for opening up to a complete stranger in need….it doesn’t surprise me.
Merry Christmas and I will be praying for your mom - The Cleveland Clinic is amazing and I’m sure she’ll be in great hands.
For the record, I told Ayumi that if she was my kid galavanting around the country and talking to strangers on the internet I’d ring her neck!
Thanks for stopping in.
Merry Christmas
What a great blogging success story. I’m so sorry about your parents, Chris.
Chris what an awesome Christmas Story. Please give my Ayumi my warmest Christmas greetings. Tell her:
Konnichi Wa? O Genke desu ka? Watakshi no namae wa Rich Jacobson desu.
Chris - what a great way to share Christmas - but then Chris is part of Christmas isn’t it?
Tell Rich I remember enough from my Japanese lessons to understand what he said, though it’s been years. My problem came when people responded with everything that I hadn’t yet learned!
Best wishes for your parents.
Merry Christmas!
I’m really really enjoying here!!
:D The sushi place was sooo great! And the chinese lunch was good too (and christmas dinner was GREAT too! I ate beef!!I actually liked it haha)!!^0^/
And thank you for the greetings, Rich =D
Genki dasu. Bonita Springs ga totemo kiniiri mashita! Chris ha totemo ii hito desu!! ^^
: Hajime mashite.
I am a local friend in Bonita Springs and had the pleasure of meeting Ayumi on Christmas Eve in Bonita. She is so small and cute. She could have come in a little Christmas package.
This will be a trip she will always remember for her entire life. Not just for Bonita Springs (Beauty Capital of the World)but for the time she has had with one of the craziest most fun loving people in the world.
So, Chris ha totemo ii to imoshiroi hito desu!! Ayumi, you were lucky to meet the absolute best people to show you around Bonita Springs. I’m glad you’re having a great time in the USA!
(I had a Japanese exchange student/daughter, and I hope to have another one!)
What a wonderful way to meet a New Friend. A real demonstration of the Spirit of Christmas Giving. Thanks for this story and the reminder that we never know who is reading.
This is a wonderful story. I am not surprised that you opened up your heart and your time to a stranger. How lucky for Ayumi!
I don’t know any Japanese but send greetings and blessings nonetheless!
And your Mom is in my prayers.
Thats a wonderful story…especially the part about me…just kidding. I m not that self centered (you could of at least added a picture)
No one knows Bonita Springs better than you. She is very fortunate to have found you! And I am glad she found it through your new friend named Betty!
Great Christmas story.
Boy, you slay me.
What a great story! This is truly what Christmas is all about. She is so lucky to have found you!
Diane, I’ve been dragging her all over creation. We restocked listing flyers today. She may never get in my car again.
I can send you one if you don’t have one.
Just sayin’
LOL I only have the picture of Bob standing by a bus stop sign, modified by Al. Shall I post that one?
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Chris - thanks for sharing the story - it doesn’t suprise me in the least - Glad you all had a Merry Christmas - Wishing you the best in 2008!
Great story, i really enjoyed it.