My Argentina Tour - the gift that keeps giving!

I have been back home from Argentina a week now. I am fully back in the NYC/NJ flow. I have stopped needing to refrain from saying, "Hola!" instead of hello, and - I know I am only one of about three people who will say this - I am very much enjoying our HOT summer weather! But, the other day, after I returned from telling at the Hans Christian Anderson statue in Central Park, on the same bill as one of the "mothers" of the modern storytelling movement, Laura Simms, when I sat down to write about how wonderful that venue is, and how GREAT it was that people stayed to hear me tell a story or two after Laura did, I opened my email, and found this BEAUTIFUL, AMAZING letter: Dear Julie Pasqual, I'm almost certain you do not know who i am, but i read about your visit to Argentina this past week. My name is Lucio and I go to St. Xavier's College, a school you went to tell stories. Unfortunately i'm in my last year, so i was not able to enjoy your visit. You must be also wondering: "why is he writting this to me?" The fact is that i entered your blog and read about you and noticed you are an actress as well as a storyteller. I'm currently acting on a play (let's say i'm an actor too), and got really frustrated when read you were already back to the US, because I was really looking forward on meeting you, so we could hopefully have a talk! I love the story "The Little Light" and picturing you performing it makes me want to go back in time to enjoy your performance. I believe the story is brilliantly written and gives the ideal message to kids. I hope you recieve this e-mail, because I just wanted to let you know how much i love your work, how much of an inspiration you are and how sorry I am for not meeting! :( Best wishes, Lucio Robredo And so, I was once again transported back to Buenos Aires to the all the terrific students and teachers I met, and I closed my eyes, and said, "Thank you!!" Thank you Lucio, for being the kind of person who is moved to send such a lovely email - may you always have the courage and heart to follow your dreams. Thank you Dream On Productions, for a three week tour, I will never, ever forget, and that has left me inspired as a teller. Thank you teachers, who looked at the materials before them, and said, "Yes, let's take a chance, and book this Julie person to come to perform for our kids." And, thank you, Universe, for giving me the right gifts, at the right time to have been able to bring something to my Argentinian brothers and sisters!!