My Pen Pal History

When I was 6 my family moved from the Dayton, Ohio area to the north of Dayton, Ohio area.  I had one best friend and she and I were determined to keep in touch.  Which we did.  We have kept in touch for about 37 years!  Neither of us writes all the time, but we continue to touch base and send Christmas cards.

In middle-school, I somehow managed to get a pen pal who lived in Manchester Endland.  She wrote to me for a few years and even sent me souvenirs from the Royal Wedding.  (Charles & Diane)  Eventually, this gal stopped writing.

As I got older and began having friends who were going off on adventures around the globe, I started to get more international mail.  And when I crossed the U.S. I began writing letters to everyone I knew & especially those who would write back!!!  My mom and her sister (Bonnie) sent me awesome care packages.  I began writing back on anything I could find (candy bar wrappers, scrap paper, whatever).

My letters became even more fun when I had a very creative pen pal (a boy!!!) who had a great sense of humor.  One of my letters to him included a photo from the outside of my house of my bedroom window.  I had added some doodles and a detailed escape plan.  (I was home & bored to death for the summer.)

I was in heaven the year and a half that I lived in France.  A) because it was France  B) they have the coolest stationery stores C) again, France!!!  I was able to send home all kinds of crazy stuff; mostly to my family and I was getting letters from other friends who were stationed around the globe.  At this time, I also began using cassette tapes to record messages from all the great people I got to know and of all the sounds of France.

As I've gotten older, the internet, cell phones, kids have changed the amount of mail that has come my way.  I still adore mail and had a hard time not hearing back from folks.  (Not my folks; my mother has been my one faithful penpal ever since I flew the coup!)

What joy it was to discover that I was not alone!!!  After moving from Ohio I was quite lonely for mail and somehow managed to find Swap-bot, Postcrossing, and Walltype*.  I was hooked instantly.  The only thing holding me back was postage!  (or money; which is required to buy postage)

A couple of years ago some friends talked me into blogging.  I have nothing interesting to blog about.  After moving & finding others who love stationery, magnets, mailart, etc., I just started sharing my mail "adventures."  I'm sure very few friends even reads my posts.  Oh well.  But I've made another discovery:  other people blog about their mail.  Can life get any better???!!!  Now, if only I could find a way to pay for my new habit!!!