The Lost Art Of Writing Letters

Since going away to college, I’ve found myself doing something a little old-fashioned: writing letters. 

Before college, writing letters never really crossed my mind. I would maybe write a thank-you card every once in a while, but that was it. Besides, a simple text to someone would probably suffice. 

After moving away from home, I started to realize that texting someone just isn’t the same. Of course, I still text and call my family and friends all the time, but I like being able to give them something more personal than a message on a screen.

It started off pretty simple. When I first moved to Boston, I would send a small card home to my family every once in a while or write a quick note to one of my friends that I missed. Eventually, I started putting more effort into my letters and looking for inspiration on TikTok or Instagram. 

Now, making the actual letter is probably my favorite part. I love creating cute pop-up cards for my boyfriend or adding little hand-drawn pictures to letters for my sister. Sometimes I’ll decorate the envelope or add random things that remind me of whoever I’m sending it to. 

It gives me a chance to make every letter a little different and more personal to the person on the receiving end.

I think receiving a letter is just as fun as writing one. Most days, there isn’t anything exciting waiting for me in my mailbox, but when there is, I get so happy. I absolutely love getting letters back from my family and friends and hanging them up on my dorm room wall. 

I look at them almost every day, and they serve as little reminders of the people I miss back home. Having them displayed in my room makes me feel a little more connected to everyone, even when I’m so far away.

Obviously letters aren’t replacing texts anytime soon, and I don’t think they need to. I’m definitely not going to send a letter to my mom every time I want to tell her something, but being away from the people I love has made me realize their significance. 

Writing letters may be a little old-fashioned, but that’s part of the reason why I like it so much. Everything else is so quick and convenient that taking the time to make something by hand feels more meaningful. 

For me, writing letters has become a small way to feel a little closer to the people I miss, even when I’m far away from home.

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