Kelly’s recent post about stamps got me thinking about letters. When I was younger I was really into pen palling. I had penpals from all over the world! At the peak of my pen palling I had around 30 penpals. It made getting the post exciting!!
It all started off when I joined the Boyzone fan club. At the back of the magazine there was a list of names of other Boyzone fans who wanted to find friends. I got to know a couple of girls through that and in fact I’m still friends with one of them. She saw my name in the magazine and got in touch because of where I lived. Her family had a caravan in the town near us. We’re now friends on Facebook and she’s just had a baby girl as well. She’s coming up this way in May so we’re going to meet up! It’s exciting – I’ve only met her in person once before and that to was at a Boyzone concert years ago!
Anyway back to pen palling! I miss it, I really do! I miss the excitement if receiving a letter though the post! All I get these days are bills or junk mail! I also miss the fun of writing and trotting off to the Post Office to send them. I used to love posting the letter off and thinking that someone, like me, would be just as excited to receive it.
What I also miss is the stationary! I loved pens and paper! I still have tons of stationary left over from back in the day. It’s all stored in the attic just in case I needed it – now it’s there for my little girl!
I’d love to penpal again – I just googled it and there are sites I could join but I’m not too sure about sharing personal info online. Shame!
bevchen says
3rd March 2014 at 8:15 amI used to have a penfriend I got from the boyzone magazine. I wrote to her because she was from the Ukraine (my grandad was Ukrainian). We lost touch after a few years though. I wonder what happened to her? Also, when I was younger I had some penpals I got through the teen magazine on Teletext!
Until January, I was a member of a penpal site run by the German post office. YOu had to enter your address, but people had to request you as a penpal and could only actually see your address once you accepted them. Because it was the post office, it was pretty trustwrthy. Sadly tey closed down in January. I still have about 5 penfriends I found through there, but loads of others have stopped writing and now I have no way of getting more. Boooo!
Becster says
5th March 2014 at 9:02 pmYou’re a Boyzone fan as well? Cool! I may have had a penpal in the Ukraine as well.
Shame the site shut down but great you still have penpals through it!
Kelly says
3rd March 2014 at 5:44 pmI actually looked at penpal websites also but didn’t want to list out my home address. I thought about using a PO Box but wasn’t sure if it was worth it. Sad that we live in that kind of world!
Becster says
5th March 2014 at 9:03 pmIt is sad that we live in that kind of world. Although when I was younger I handed out my address it tons of random people through “friendship books”. I only stopped when I noticed people writing “no jail mail” in them!!
Brittany says
4th March 2014 at 11:42 am30 pen-pals!? WOW! I have a few bloggers I exchange letters with once in a while and it’s so much fun. There is nothing quite like receiving an actual letter in the mail these days. I don’t blame you for not wanting to put your info online though, totally not safe. A PO box is a good idea, I need to get one myself!
Becster says
5th March 2014 at 9:04 pmYup 30! I still have all their letters in a keepsake box in the attic. Receiving a letter is great – its exciting!