Home Hosting Experience
by Rosemary ZLlWRO

`Exhilaration' best describes the feelings I had after YL2000 Meet. To fit so many experiences into such a short time was memorable and a once in a lifetime weekend for me.There was such a wide diversity of languages, backgrounds, social and economic status in the group of attendees but that did not seem to matter. We communicated with each other, all involved in a common interest and with a very unique bond bringing us together.

I considered myself fortunate that both DX YLs that I sponsor into WAR0 were coming to YL2000, I was going to meet them face to face for the first time. Up to then our only contacts had been on e-mail or snail mail.

Armed with only a photo of VK4SHE and Sally's description of herself as a "confused looking woman wearing red trousers" we waited at Auckland Airport for her flight to arrive. We found each other without any problems and were soon on the way to our home, where Sally stayed with us both before and after the Meet. It was a pleasure having a visitor with radio interests staying with us and there was plenty to talk about. We were able to show Sally some of our beautiful city and take her to a meeting of our local branch of NZART where Jacqueline ZLlJAQ and I were to speak about the YL2000 Meet.

Meeting my other sponsored YL, Walli DJ6US face to face was another delightful experience. We had arranged to find each other before the Friday night dinner. Would I recugnize her from a photo recently received? Could I find her in this room packed with people? In the end it was not a difficult task and again I felt as though I had known Walli for years instead of a few months.After their two day trip to Rotorua and a brief trip to the Coromandel Peninsula Walli and Evelyne FSRPB arrived in Auckland. Ralph and I were able to enjoy their company in our home for an evening before they started their return journey to Europe.

Meeting the DXers at YL2000 was a wonderful experience but being able to home host some of them was a bonus I will long remember.

Photo

Walli DJ6US
Rosemary ZLlWRO
Sally VK4SHE