Don't Have a Pen Pal? 5 Reasons to Get One!

I love having pen pals.  They are new to me, but in the last year, I have four new friends from places I wouldn't have before:  UK, Oregon, California, and Pennsylvania.  Friendships truly can be built on the written letter, and, isn't it so much fun to find one in your mailbox after a long day at work?

Most of my new friends have come from Instagram, and I also found one through Postal Society.  I hear they are sparkling up their web site and it will be all new soon!

This month, I'm participating in a city swap, and sending all kinds of things from my hometown to a new pen pal, through Raquel, or @marionbcn on Instagram.  Her work is fabulous and her ideas are cool.

I'm a firm believer in finding new friends through social media that enjoy the same hobbies that you do, and while it's fun to communicate online, it's also tons more fun to find a parcel in your box.  Later this week I have fun and non-traditional ways to share to mail your letters.

Here are five reasons you might want to find a pen pal:

1.  It boosts your creativity.  Finding new things and fun ways to send them always make you think outside the box, literally.

2.  It's very much a stress relief to write.  And you don't always have to write in a journal; write a friend instead.

3.  You'll find very quickly just how small this world is.  I've already made a connection from a sweet girl I met in Disneyland to a pen pal I met on Instagram!

4.  You can collaborate with those that share your interests and generate new ideas for almost anything.

5.  It's fun to get mail!

What are your favorite ways to communicate?  Are you willing to disconnect and sit down with a pen and some paper?  I promise, you won't be disappointed.  I'm hoping that one day I will travel to the places my friends live, and hug them in person.  Until then, I have some letters to write tonight.