SANDPOINT — Caitie Stolz and Mao Kono’s relationship started in a twist of fate — a random housing assignment decision in an exchange student program.  

It soon developed into a friendship that transcends time, culture and slightly unusual food.

The two are catching up after several years during Kono’s visit to Sandpoint this week. It’s the first time they’ve seen each other since Stolz was an eighth-grader visiting Ebetsu, Japan, as an exchange student, where she lived with Kono and her family. Almost five years later, the two young women are still as close as ever.

“We’ve really bonded over an interest in each other’s cultures,” Stolz said. “One of the best things is the constant learning we get to do — plus, she’s just a pretty cool person.”  

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