Pen pals are great if you enjoy writing and want to get to know someone and their culture. Whether it be with a person from the United States or from a different country, this is a great way to see what life is like from their point of view. Pen pals are a bit old school but they do have some benefits:
Gifts
Not all pen pals exchange gifts but there are some who will sneak in something special along with their letter or postcard. These items can range from food to keychains to other little goodies from their home town. You will have a piece of them and their country with you from miles away!
Knowledge
Having a pen pal is a very unique learning experience that you cannot get elsewhere. Not only is it fun but you can gain knowledge about their culture and learn more about them as a person and where they live. Having this connection will allow you to expand your awareness of the world that surrounds you and it may even help you to realize certain things in your life that you may have not considered before.
Opportunity
Depending on how close you become to your pen pal, you may have the chance to visit other countries and cities to meet up with them. You can make life-long friends in the process and even be able to practice your writing and communication skills.
You get mail
We all love the feeling of opening our mailboxes and seeing packages or letters other than useless catalogs or bills. Having a pen pal will add on to this excitement. Plus, you can collect all the different stamps that are sent with your mail.
Having a pen pal is something everyone should highly consider. Many people have met wonderful friends who they still keep in touch with until this very day. Texts and emails will eventually fade away but with handwritten letters, you can keep them forever and maybe even have your grandchildren read them one day. This will be something worth holding onto in the future.
Photo courtesy of Titan Lists
If you are interested in having a pen pal, here are a few websites you should check out!
Postcrossing.com (This site allows you to still keep in touch with people around the world by sending/receiving postcards)
(Cover image courtesy of WMU)