Is it normal to feel so strongly?

Just about a month ago, I met a guy at a convention. Upon meeting, we both knew that neither of us was from the area, and the places we were from weren't close by at all. We exchanged emails anyway.

Fast forward a few days, and we're both back in our respective countries, five hours of time difference sitting between us. We've been flirting, and getting along famously in general. It's at this point he tells me he has a girlfriend. We stay up straight through the night talking, because for some reason, we both feel like this less-than-a-week-old attraction is worth turning into a friendship. He clears everything up with his girlfriend and then with me again. He's avoided something that could have been a disaster down the line, and we share a little laugh: everyone makes mistakes, right?

Come to now, a month later. We have still continued to talk at least once a day through emails, pen pal style. As far as I'm concerned, the situation has developed wonderfully. We're two people mesh really well, and romantically, we've been extremely honest that there was something there, but because of timing it has to be ignored. He has no intention of breaking up with his girlfriend, and I have no want for him to, as she seems like a wonderful girl.

I don't know how things will work out in the future, but we've discussed that if we're still talking a year from now, and beyond that, that it would be worth investing money in the odd trip and meeting up again. I hesitate to call him one of my new best friends, but because of the distance, even when we're talking face to face (Skype, of course), we know that our secrets are safe. We already know so much about each other, and he's told me things that he can't tell his friends where he is.

And not things that I feel he should rather share with his girlfriend either. Things like excitement over a new job opportunity overseas. Everyone in his life knows he wants to leave the country eventually, so if he told them every time there was a possibility for him to transfer to another branch overseas, they'd be more stressed than happy for him. With them, he needs to wait for the right time, but with me, I can just feel happy for him.

So, is it normal to feel like this I've found my friendly equivalent of a soul mate? That it was best friends at first sight?