Chapter 1: It started with an email

It started with an email, not the way every adventure started in Katie-Lou's life, but it was the way this one had chosen to start.

Hello Katie-Lou

I'm new to Launceston, and was googling Launceston, when I came across your blog "Two Long Years" I couldn't help but relate, I have just moved here from the States and your blog hit the nail on the head, it's hard being a new person here, how do you meet people when you know no-one?

Kind Regards
Andrew

Katie-Lou ponded over the email for a while, she'd been writing her blog on Tasmanian travel for a few months now, but had never really had anyone reach out to her like that.

She paused for a moment hands poised on the keyboard preparing her answer, thinking back to all the times she had started over, that time she moved to Shijiazhuang, or moved to Sydney... then of course, she started all over again when she moved to Shanghai, but China was different, all you really had to do in China was find a foreigner to befriend, finding a foreigner, even if they weren't from Australia always meant you had something in common, you well... foreign.

Dear Andrew

I was delighted and surprise

No that wasn't going to work she thought to herself.

Dear Andrew

The curse blinked at her waiting for her to type her next word, why was this so hard? She thought staring at the screen.

Dear Andrew

Thank you for your email, I'm sorry to hear you are struggling to meet new people.

I'd be happy to meet you for coffee if you're interested, how well do you know Launceston now? There's a coffee place in Yorktown Square that does nice coffee, it's called Samuel Pepys.

Let me know if you're free tomorrow.

Kind Regards

Katie-Lou

"There!" she thought to herself, hitting the send button, "pay it forward".