#pen pal

[did-you-fall-for-a-shooting-star]

Btw, people who are interested in pen pals, you should check out the International Geek Girl Pen Pal Club. (You do not have to be a girl btw and they are trans/nb inclusive).

Its really easy to sign up, and if you do it now, you’ll get your match during the first two weeks of next month.

They also have a discord community and fun events! Tuesday theres a movie night where people are watching the DND movie together!

Anyways, I’m waiting for my match (they match you by hand based on interests), but once I start pen pal-ing, I think I’d be open to exchanging letters with moots too!!

[die-rosastrasse]

Fragments of a fantasy-themed letter for my Irish pen pal 🌿✨

[letters-from-a-lily]

USPS has D&D stamps right now!

[webdiggerxxx]

꧁★꧂

[corgate-epistolary]

May 3rd, 624

(Transcript under the cut) (Read on Ao3 HERE)

[Written on off-white writing paper with a smooth but lightly textured hand, in golden yellow-brown ink, in cursive. Letter was folded into its own rectangular envelope, and sealed with a wax seal depicting a cat surrounded by moons, mountains, and window-like arch frame. The wax seal is silver, pale green, and gold swirled together]

Elowen Vance, A.Mg. Corgate Village Post Office

May 3rd, 624

Eris Mirrows, A.Mg. 87 Lancedragon Street Avalon

Mx. Mirrows:

We have arrived safely at Corgate.  The [scratch-out] villagers have been, on the whole, extremely [scratch-out] welcoming to Mg. Hawkins & myself. For once, Mg. Hawkins country manners are serving him far better than my own, as the locals see him as one of their own come home again.  I know Mg. Equlee is bitterly disappointed by the council’s decision (and if it were in my power I [scratch-out] would have [scratch-out, “recom”] recommended to send both, [scratch-out, appears to have been a closed parenthesis] as irritable as they can be to [scratch-out, “the”] each other) but I do not believe he would enjoy this section of the trip.  Please do express my condolences & apologies if you feel it

[end of page 1]

would be in his best interest.

The train journey was fine, & the tracks in this area are in good repair.  Should you ever have cause to visit, it is about one day’s journey via the train from the city to the station in Corgate, which is very small but well kept.  I am told from here it is another two hours’ [scratch-out, “tra”] travel to the ruins.  As such, I am intending to make the journey to the station for mail & supplies once weekly, and will consider it a morning’s work.

While I am away from Avalon, would you please keep me abreast of the latest happenings with the council?  And of course the general public knowledge of our colleagues & their doings.  I know you find it a little trivial, however [scratch-out, “evew”] even you must recognize the importance of good information before some other magician drags yours into some risky scheme.  We have a duty to ensure that they do not blow themselves up, after all.  I ask only because Mg. Hawkins (and I, in my less charitable moments) is convinced that this posting, far from the city & the university, is intended as a quiet exile as punishment for Mg. Hawkins’ lack of interest

[end of page 2]

in pursuing more formalized proofs & magical education.  I am sure you can hear in your mind his perennial exclamation that he is “getting along just fine as I am!”  I know I can even though I can hear him snoring quite plainly through the inn walls.

Such walls!  The buildings in Corgate seem made [scratch-out, “of”, but written poorly] of tissue paper to my eye - all frame, wattle, & daub and no bricks to be seen.  I am not so sure I will be truly suited to agent’s work in the field, but I can certainly see that Mg. Hawkins is quite in his element.  He seems quite at peace with himself here in a way he has [scratch-out, “nev”] never seemed back home.  Like a bird let loose from a cage, I suppose.  I am ever so glad he is happy, but I will have to learn his trick of avoiding the country mud before I go mad.

On an unrelated note, however, would you please stop by Vimes Place and look for my brown satchel?  In the scramble to get Mg. Hawkins (and all his supplies) out the door, I believe I left it

[end of page 3]

on the front table. It [scratch-out, “on”] only has a few novels & my copy of the notes on the ruins, which I could copy over again if needed, but I do not want to, AND you have the key.  I would trust it to you & to the post office [scratch-out, at the bottom of “office”] here in Corgate, but ask Mg. Equlee to put a little locking on it first.

I will look [scratch-out, “y”] for [scratch-out] your letter when I come down to Corgate next.  [scratch-out, “Stay we”] Stay well!

Ms. Elowen Vance, A.Mg.

P.S. Please let me know if any of my plants start looking sorrowful.  And do forward a newspaper [scratch-out] or two from time to time if you can

[end of page 4][end of letter]

[belovedapollo]

outgoing letters to penpals 💌 reblog is ok, don’t repost/use

[kidneydemon]

Letter to a friend.

[novashelby]

I would like to share a hobby of mine with you

***None of the letters above are my own

*Not my photo ------> If you are writing first, I would stick to 2-3 pages. Tell them the most important/interesting things about you. Also, it is important to ask questions as well.

*I do not own this image

---------> Extras are not mandatory. Pen paling strictly means pen friend. Meaning, the letter you write. However, you can add fun extras. I would actually stick away from seeds(environmental regulations) and perfume(allergies).

How to find a pen pal? There are many different sites and groups where you can find pen pals. I have been pen paling for almost 15 years! I have a box of letters from all around the world. Some people I still talk to and unfortunately some are only fond memories. However, I occasionally look back on them and smile.

Here are some great sites: Global Penfriends-This site does a wonderful job in limiting sketchy people/scamming. However, you are only allowed one message every 12 hours. That being said, if you have it to spare, for $15 dollars you can get 10 snail mail credits. :) So, you can search through your filters and pick 10 people to write to and you just send them a letter.

Students of the World-Very 90's like, but I find it to be a very safe option for younger people. Great if you are learning French as it is French owned.

Pen Pal World-Also great at limiting scammers and fakes. Though you are only allowed 5 messages every so many hours.

Hi!Pen Pal-Also a bit glitchy, but since it is Korean owned(I think) it is great for finding pen pals from Asia!

There are groups on Facebook as well: Worldwide Snail Mail Pen Pals Snail Mail Worldwide Pen Pals Ladies Only

*I would personally stay away from Interpals. I have found good friends on there, but I have also been stalked/harassed.

[avrscn]

young patti having a pen pal😭(1973)

[midwest-spidey]

yearning for a pen pal

but I have the horrors (anxiety)

[littlealienproducts]

Cute Panda Writing Pad by SomedaySomeplace

[ebidy]

my very first junk journal/scrapbook page!!! made from Lego manuals for the botanical set lol bit of weird folding/creasing cause of my bad gluing oopsie but I'm still really proud of how pretty it came out, I might add some rhinestones to look like dew drops I think that would be pretty

[pen-pal-ideas]

📮 Letter-writing activism

Recently I became interested in the role that letters have played in activism throughout history (especially black history!), and was considering how this might be effective today in the U.S.

Who could we write letters to?

Neighbors. Invite your neighbors to local protests and activism events, inform them of boycott efforts, and just generally let them know how they can help. Much like a medical emergency where someone needs to delegate and say “YOU IN THE GREEN SHIRT — call an ambulance!” for anything to get done, your good-hearted neighbors might be frozen with anxiety, uncertain of what to do or how to help. A letter personally inviting them and letting them know their community needs them might be all it takes to get them to show up. (Bonus: you could hand-deliver to a neighbor, no postage needed.)

Elected officials. Yep, we’ve all heard this one before. But guess what? The few officials who are actually working their asses off for causes you care about need to hear your support and be assured that they are indeed serving the public. And some need to hear that you need them to step up. Others may not be able to hear much, but who knows, maybe you can pick an issue they might care about, i.e. taxes, print a graph on your envelope and demand to know why tax cuts are disproportionately benefiting the rich when you were told they were going to help the everyday American. And fun fact: You can make any issue into an issue politicians should care about by connecting it to “big government,” “American values,” “family,” etc.

Churches and religious leaders. Religion is unfortunately becoming intertwined with politics in the U.S. in an increasingly negative way. Challenge those local religious leaders who use their faith to justify hate. Ask, “how can we claim to love our queer neighbors if we are too busy pretending they don’t exist?” Draw on values that they claim to care about, challenge them, and let them know specifically how they are directly harming the very community they claim to shepherd. (If they don’t have a mailbox and you’re really brave you could go in and drop a letter in their donations baskets.)

Now on the one hand, letters are no longer as common a communication method as they once were. But on the other hand, this also means that receiving a letter can be a unique and meaningful moment. You also might have a better chance at reaching 75-year old Nana who doesn’t see your social justice instagram stories, but who personally remembers activism during the Civil Rights movement (for example) and can share valuable insights and knowledge.

If you’re interested, here’s a page (this is also the source of the image above) from the Smithsonian’s learning lab about the history of letters and activism, as well as tips for writing a letter of your own and making it stand out.

Haven’t sent much physical mail before? Here’s a guide from the USPS on how to address and mail a letter. A standard stamp costs 73¢ currently. Buy a sheet of stamps and share with your friends so that everyone can write a letter!

Lastly, I want to say I’m definitely not any kind of expert on activism, and I’m not usually active about it on social media. But as an avid pen-paller, I do feel there is a unique power in letters. As I watch the attacks on basic human rights and the grabs for power in the U.S., I figured making this post and sending a letter of my own was the very least I could do.

Please feel free to add on and share your own knowledge and experiences! Who else could we write to? What makes an effective letter?

I will be honored if anyone reblogs, and even more so if you commit to sending just one letter of your own!

🩷❤️🧡💛💚🩵💙💜

[lyralit]

did you happen to post about cute little things to include in a written letter? if not, do you have any ideas as to what a character would add to a note?

no, I did not, but...

little picked flowers + plants (baby's breath, lilacs) ++ look at my post for flower meanings (I can't find it, but check the archive)

a list of songs that reminded them of the letter's recipient

doodles

photographs from times spent together / alone

stickers and stamps

paper receipts (movie stubs, carnival tickets, etc.)

teabags

origami (cranes etc)

bits and bobs -> gum wrappers folded into hearts, buttons, feathers, useless pennies, etc.

samples of art (little squares of embroidery, sketches, paint swabs)

candy

recipes (a recipe exchange, maybe?)

paper clip jewelry (legend, anyone?)

friendship bracelets

newspaper clippings

writing -> quotes, poems, etc.

glitter

ribbon scraps tied in bows

[dame-nostalgique]

A ballet letter for a very dear pen pal 🩰🌺

[pretentiousfoxling]

*ReOpened* In Search of a Pen Pal

Guten Morgen! I'm 27, female. Ever since I was little, I have cherished a good handwritten letter. You could call me old-fashioned. I miss when people used to take time from their busy schedules to write thoughtful notes with doodles and pressed flowers to each other. Now, people can reach each other from the screens of their cellphones, emails, and even sites like this. Texts and emails have taken away with emotional connection of connecting with others from all over the world. It's disappointing really. I wish to re-experience the joy of opening a letter and sending out a reply shortly after.

REQUIREMENTS:

Must be 20+ years of age. Here in the States, given my age, I would find it uncomfortable to be sending mail to someone who is any younger.

Able to read and write English. English is my native language and don't have much experience with foreign languages besides a little bit of Spanish and German.

It would be wonderful to send at least one letter each month (totally okay with more than one though).

I am also most comfortable with being pen pals with other females. It's a long story and I'd rather not get into the nitty-gritty anytime soon.

MY INTERESTS:

Books/reading*

Dark/Light Academias

Art

Language learning* (German is preferred)

Literally any other language

Gothic/Horror genre

Hippie Lifestyle

Crochet*

Hiking

Apothecary**

Slow Living Lifestyle**

Witchcraft**

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

Don't be surprised if I ask you about food allergies ^^ I like to share recipes.

I like to add things to letters to make them more personalized (stickers, tea samples, bookmarks, doodles, flower and leaf presses from my hikes, etc). Feel free to add your own!

I like to share recipes and holistic remedies for common ailments like knee scraps, menstrual cramps, and the common cold.

I love sharing traditional/generational recipes, especially when the holidays are near.

When it comes to Witchcraft, I am willing to share my experience with those who are curious. Please do not ridicule my spiritual beliefs.

Thank you for reading this far. I hope you are having a wonderful day! If you are interested in becoming pen pals, you are welcome to reach out to me at any time.

The image is not mine, credit goes to the original creator