Am I the only one who used to have pen pals? You know, back in the day when e-mail did not even exist and there were friendship chain-letters, that you had to copy by hand and send by snail mail? There really is something special about writing a letter in actual paper, gathering cute little trinkets thinking of the receiver, whether it's candy, a bag of tea or a newspaper cutout, then putting it all together in an envelope and sending it away. It's like magic coming right out of your mailbox and like sending some magic away.
There is no secret I just love to take place in these fun exchanges. I participated in (and told you about) #AOW's bookswap, then last year there was Fiona's old-fashioned recipe-swap. Well, this year the lovely Anna from 'Miss Beatrix' is organizating #PostCircle and Laura from 'The Mrs. makes' is coordinating a Recipe swap. My first pen pal was Hannah from Dainty and Ivory and she already received a few things (Stroopwafels, Haagse Hopjes (Dutch coffee caramels) and a duckling). Yesterday I was more than thrilled to get my first little envelope with a cute card of investigative cats and a little green and purple cat keychain that is going straight to my purse. (Thanks so much to Lesley and Claire).My #recipe-swap envelope is being prepared as well and will soon be on its way.
For any of you who would like to join, both #Postcircle and #Recipe swap are open to join during the whole year, so if you want to play with us just click on the links.
I had and still have a penpal, my dear Avinash, from India, with whom we have been corresponding for the past 20 1/2 years!
ReplyDeleteI love the swaps, but I didn't get any book from the AOW one, so I don't feel like participating in another one yet...
It is quite impressive that you still correspond with Avinash, 20 years and a half is quite a lot.
DeleteI am so sorry you did not get the AOW book swap yet... it's weird. Did you contact the girls? Maybe they can track your parcel?
I used to have a penpal, too! It was so much fun.
ReplyDeleteIt really was fun, specially because the waiting made it exciting.
DeleteI had a pen pal relationship with my first holiday romance for years. We are still in periodic touch and I kept all of his letters. Swoon. I also had a Turkish pen friend who I went to visit twice and it is one of the greatest regrets of my life that we lost touch over the last few years. I have tried to look her up several times and failed to find her.
ReplyDeleteWow, first holiday romance and then letters, swoon!
DeleteI hope you somehow manage to find your Turkish pen friend.... life surprises you sometimes.
I had many summer camp friends with whom I exchanged letters well into our 20s...I remember fancily decorated envelopes and lots of stickers. Oh, how I miss the real pen and paper experience, that little feeling of excitment when you open the mailbox to find something hand-written and lumpy with treats amidst the regular bills and advertising. Emails just aren't the same, are they?
ReplyDeleteOh yes. Stickers :) Emails are great, you can write a lot, they are instant. But there is something about receiving the actual paper that was touched, prepared, handwritten by someone on the other end, sometimes far away, and to think about the journey the envelope made. It really is magic.
DeleteGetting mail other than pesky bills is always so much fun! When we first moved to New York from Costa Rica, one of my friends and I kept in touch via letters... We have since moved to Facebook and WhatsApp but I still remember those letters fondly. In recent years I have exchanged letters and postcards with friends both here and abroad but they are few and far between. However, finding the random post in the mail is always so exciting! You should send me your address! #PostCircle sounds interesting, I might look into it :)
ReplyDeleteI'll send you my address, you should send yours too.
DeleteI have also kept in touch with 2 of my best friends from university, one who collects postcards and the other one who is in Chile and with whom we always exchange packages of things we collect here and there. And I make a point on sending cards for Christmas, and sometimes, birthdays.
Yay, so lovely. I'm trying to sign up to more things like this, they are so much fun and interesting. Thank you again for the lovely packet you sent me, as soon as I tried one of those waffles I ended eating them all they were so good! I putting your letter together now =)
ReplyDeleteHannah
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www.daintyandivory.blogspot.com
Oh you're welcome :) This is so much fun! I am glad you liked the stroopwafels, they are addictive. We use them as wedding favors (tiny ones, with a tiny bottle of Tequila, to represent the Mexican-Dutchness of our marriage hehe).
DeleteYou will also be getting a postcard soon! Thanks !