My friend, Bea, and I share the longest friendship, which goes back to the early 1970s. We both lived in the same Franconian village, and have been friends since junior high. For many years, we only communicated via handwritten letters across the Atlantic.

With the advent of the internet, we started communicating more often again. In the past, we used to have only one day together, before she had to return to the USA. This time, we had three whole days to spend together. We both refreshed our Franconian dialect in no time.

Bea from McAllen, Texas