Keeping up with loved ones can be exhausting. The past year has been a struggle to reply to text messages and emails on time, with most of my replies starting off with an apology for being so slow.
Communicating with others feels more urgent these days and it’s easy to overlook more leisurely methods like snail mail. The pandemic has brought about a renaissance of letter writing, with individuals sending packages of handwritten letters, souvenirs, stationary, trinkets – little pieces of a person – to their pen pals all over the globe. The thrill of receiving something on your doorstep that isn’t a late-night Etsy purchase cannot be compared.
Penpalling has become more popular than ever with the pandemic stalling our lives indefinitely. There is something incomparably simple about sending a letter off and waiting days, weeks, maybe even months, for it to reach its recipient. No stress over read receipts, email etiquettes, all the little anxieties that have made talking with others feel like a chore. Just full faith in the postal service that your letter will reach its intended destination and brighten up someone’s day.
Many people that participate have turned to social media to share their crafts, YouTube and Instagram particularly. There is something satisfying about watching the process of turning a simple blank page and envelope into a decorated, intricate work of art. I’ve curated a social media feed that has me adding washi tapes to my basket and scrolling through wax seal pressing clips almost everyday. Though the process can be laborious, and digital communications are much more convenient, the romanticism of putting pen to paper, of sealing the lid of an envelope and sticking a stamp in the corner, is unmatched. Of course, not every letter has to be elaborately decorated and stationary costs can be slightly off-putting for people that have never participated before. But there is no need to complicate the process, just a simple letter can be special enough to receive.
Being able to physically preserve your correspondence with friends and family can also be special. Important messages are often lost in the wave of notifications we receive daily. Having a physical reminder of your community can relieve the inevitable isolation of being separated from your support systems. I enjoy rereading letters I’ve received, and seeing the effort that has gone into creating something so personal can be heartwarming. Not to mention, it’s always fun to break wax seals and dig through for little surprises someone may have sent, like tea bags or stickers or pressed flowers.
There are so many benefits with being the sender too. Much like journaling, penpalling can be cathartic for unfurling your situation and structuring your thoughts. Sharing what’s on your mind with another person can be relieving and lessens some of your emotional burdens. Alternatively, it can be so rewarding to recount all the things that have made you happy recently, whether it’s to do with TV shows or pets or books – we could all do with some distractions these days.
It’s easy enough to get started. With university being online for the vast majority of students, your cohort will undoubtedly be split up across various continents. Perhaps look into exchanging mail with coursemates where university is already a conversation-starter. I’ve always enjoyed receiving mail from people in other countries, even something as basic as a different stamp can be novel and exciting. Otherwise, letter-writing can be a great way to reconnect with friends and family you may have lost contact with. All you need is a piece of paper, envelope, stamp, and pen. There are plenty of guides online and sources of inspiration if you want to be more intricate – penpalling has pretty much come to dominate every visual platform. If you’re unsure of where to start looking for stationary, many Etsy vendors sell quite affordable letter-writing kits or packs of ephemera (little cutouts, papers, and scrapbooking materials), depending on the theme you may be going for.
That’s all it takes to give yourself a break from your screen and start sending letters to the people you care about. It’s important, now more than ever, to check up on others without overexerting yourself, and letter-writing is the perfect alternative to constant social media.