LETTER WRITING, HAVING A PEN PAL OVERSEAS AND THE 'PEN PAL PROCESS'

I've written about being a sentimental person on here before (I think around a year or so ago), but it is something that I feel defines me perfectly. I am extremely sentimental and nothing pleases me more than documenting memories, looking through old photographs or writing letters...

My search for a pen pal

Over a year ago now, last summer in fact, I asked on my Instagram stories whether or not anybody would like to be my pen pal. I had always wanted a long-standing pen pal.. ever since I can remember. I remember having pen pals when I was younger – a girl I met in the park once and an old school friend. But it fizzled out and we lost interest. But now being older, hopefully wiser, and a whole lot more sentimental, having pen pals means everything to me.

From pen pals to close friends

The first girl to get in touch regarding my Instagram pen pal search was one of my now closest friends, Hannah. When Hannah got in touch I never in a million years thought that over a year later we'd still be writing to each other, let alone be really good friends. Hannah and I have pretty much shared a letter to each other every month since last June/July, and in those eleven or twelve letters I have got to know her so well, while sharing so much of my life with her.

Hannah lives in America while I live in England so there's always something to new and interesting to talk about – whether it be her not knowing what a Christmas pudding is or me wanting to know what autumn is like in New England. I've formed such a close bond with Hannah, and am truly grateful to have her in my life.

It is such a nice feeling knowing that somebody in this world knows almost everything about me, my life and my thoughts – even if I have never met her and even if she does live thousands of miles away.

I hope to meet Hannah one day – it would be the most magical and amazing thing. Imagine meeting your best friend for the first time after sharing hundreds of letters? I honestly cannot wait for that day.. it would be like something out of a book!

I highly recommend having a pen pal, even more so if they live in a completely different country. It's so cool finding out about their culture, traditions, celebrations and day-to-day life. It's also pretty good having somebody to vent to whenever you feel like it.

I love hearing about Hannah's life – it's so interesting to hear about what she gets up to, the TV shows she's been watching, her goals and aspirations – it really is a highlight of my life having Hannah as a pen pal and most of all close friend. Even though we live 3,123 miles apart, even though we've never met and even though we've only known each other for around a year – Hannah is definitely my closest friend and I find it amazing and scary because we are actually pretty similar!

The pen pal process

You're probably wondering how much it costs to send letters overseas, how much we write to each other, how long it takes to write a letter and how it all started... so, this is the pen pal process:

I sent the first letter in Hannah and I's massive chain of letters. I didn't know what to write at first.. I worried about my handwriting, my tone, how I came across, what questions to ask and what to reveal about myself. It was very nerve-wracking at first! I basically just wrote about me before going on to ask some questions about her life. 

At first our letters were a lot shorter than what they are now. Our letters can now range from 4 to 6 pages (double sided). I like to dedicate an evening when replying to a letter because I like to focus all of my attention on it. Writing a wholesome, lengthy and personal letter can take anywhere from three hours to five hours (with intervals of course!). It's a lengthy process but I find it SO relaxing, so uplifting and so rewarding too. 

The first letter I sent to Hannah was only a couple of pages long so it didn't cost very much at all. The first letter was probably 10g or 20g so would have cost £1.35 or £1.55. But as our letters are now 5 pages long (or more sometimes) the stamp goes up to 100g and costs £2.30. The price of the stamps really don't bother me at all because letter writing brings me so much joy. I do tend to buy my stamps in advance now – so when I feel particularly extravagant I will spend £10 and get a few stamps for the coming months. 

I have also sent parcels to America and it's not as pricey as you may think. For a small parcel it costs just under £10. I send 2 or 3 parcels a year to Hannah, but the cost of postage is 100% worth it. 

I love having a pen pal. Hannah is definitely my closest friend and I appreciate her so much. I appreciate the time she takes to write to me, her thoughtful words and her constant support! I feel so incredibly blessed to have found such an amazing friend through the art of letter writing!

Do you have a pen pal? Are you interested in having a pen pal? Let me know below!