Member of the Month: Bre Aponi

This is the interview for the Member of the Month winner for July, 2012.   - Tell us about yourself, your hobbies, personal life, and interests! -- Wow I'm not so great about talking about myself *lol* but here it goes! My name is Bre Aponi and I am 25 currently. I live in NC with my two cats: Tigre andJB. I have a jewelry business (EmotionAsArt) and I also work doing childcare and pet sitting. I'm a full-time student working on my Medical Office Administration degree and I hope to finish with it soon. My hobbies are photography, drawing, making jewelry, pen-palling, and I love to travel! I also collect shot glasses, used stamps, postcards and anything with seahorses, butterflies, wolves or Native American related   - Describe yourself in only 5 words! -- Honest, Caring, Loyal, Generous, Artsy   - How and why did you start pen palling? -- I started pen-palling in 2008. I have always loved writing letters and when I moved to NC (the first time) I was lonely because I didn't know anyone. I searched online for people who loved writing letters like I did and really fell in love with pen-palling. - What do you like/dislike about pen palling? -- What I like about pen-palling is being able to meet and form friendships with people from all around the world. Getting to know more about new countries and languages and just being able to conversate with people who live a thousand+ miles away. What I dislike about pen-palling is coming across a pal collector or someone who is dishonest and uses people. Sadly I've met quite a few.  - How many pen pals do you have and where are they from? -- I currently have 30 pals. I wish I could take on more but I'm limited financially. I have pals from: USA, Australia, Netherlands, Saipan, Japan, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, England, Ireland, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Finland, Czech Republic, and more. - What do you look for in a pen pal? -- In a pal I look for someone who's honest and shares common interests with me. I have found over the years that when I have some common interests with a pal that we have a lot more to talk about  I'm really not picky about age or anything else. I like meeting new people especially from places that I have never been too. Gives me a chance to learn more about a new place and a new person!! - Where do you find new pen pals at? Do you rely on friendship books, Facebook, or other websites/blogs? -- Right now I'm not looking for new pals but I like to find them via Facebook groups or through my pals.  - Do you keep track of your mail? Share your tip on how to stay organized. -- I do keep track of my mail. I have box for incoming mail and one for outgoing mail then I have my letters sorted in a large box by pal and country.