I love writing letters, the snail mail kind, and go out of my way to find the coolest cards and stationary. Heaven help me when there's a sale on because I have a bad tendency to stock up and now can't (shouldn't) because of my slightly cramped living situation. I've met so many cool people in my travels and jobs and schools that I don't want to loose touch, so here are my solutions.
- I found these really cool "believe" cards for $1 the other day and bought them (see? no self control). There were six and I immediately sat down and wrote six letters. That way they're not being stashed someplace and forgotten or stored and ruined.
- There are some really awesome online options for sending letters right from your computer. Check out Cardstore.com, Hallmark.com, and the usps.com. You can write the card and upload photos. Best of all they will mail the cards for you and keep your address book on file for the future. There's no extra charge for mailing, just the 45 cent stamp and often they have free mailing on major holidays.
- Walgreens.com has an online photo center where you can upload and store your photos. This works great as a backup album and you can turn those photos into post cards with two clicks.
- If you just can't find the time to sit down and write a snail mail letter, jot a quick email. Notice that I'm not saying to post an update on twitter or Facebook. I have a Facebook account because it helps me keep in touch with people I might otherwise loose track of, but a status update is not the same as a "hey, how are ya".
So take advantage of the great connections you make on your travels. Get addresses and write down all the important info about them so you'll remember it all later. Don't let people become out of sight and out of mind.
There was a time that I used to look forward to checking the mail because there just might be a letter in there for me. Now, I know the only stuff inthe mailbox is bills, and all my mail is electronic. While it is convienient, it feels a little less personal. Although, with some of the people that would send mail once upon a time, I can read the typed word better!
ReplyDeleteAsh, thanks for this great blog. Just discovered it and am now a fan.
ReplyDeleteThere's a thing called "mail art" and one of its main practitioners was a guy named Ray Johnson, an artist who's the focus of a documentary called HOW TO DRAW A BUNNY. Highly recommended!