Friends from Around the World

Whether for the joy of writing, or for the pleasure of having friends to get letters from in other states and countries, many people still enjoy the seemingly dying art of having pen pals. It's important to share about yourself, yes, but also to be mindful of your domestic and international friends, and be interested in their lives. Here are a few tips to being a good pen pal.

Balance

People like me have more than one pen pal. In fact, I have thirteen pen pals at the moment. It's important to have only the number of pen pals that you think you can handle. It's not fair to have twenty pen pals that get skimpy letters from you. If you can only have three to five pen pals that you can write fantastic letters to, that's okay. It's better than not being to keep up with writing to several more, and getting them mixed up.

Postage

I haven't had it happen yet with sending pen pal letters, but I have had it be a problem with shipping things domestically. Sometimes, the post office doesn't calculate the right postage, leaving your recipient with paying the difference. Where I live, it's 94 cents to send an international letter. That's pretty flat rate, but if you want to ship a small gift, double check with your post office, to make sure the postage will cover what's being shipped.

Stationary

People can get letters on plain paper with black or blue ink any day of the week. However, when pen pals write, it's nice to see creative and colorful paper and pens. Even though I have an excess of stationary cards and envelopes in sets, I've had a hard time finding stationary paper. If you have the same problem, visit an office supply store or check the office supply section at your department store, and find their special printer paper. I've found tan paper with gold stenciling on the side, polka dots, clouds, etc. These don't have lines, so keep that in mind if you have bad handwriting.

Handwriting

Speaking of handwriting, keep it neat. If you have to have lined paper to keep it straight, then get it. Also, try not to write in cursive. Print as clearly and neatly as possible, leaving proper spacing bewteen letters and words, so your pen pals can actually read what you have to say.

First letters

First letters are, pretty much, your only opportunity to yak on about yourself, especially if you're writing the starting letter, introducing yourself. You don't know a lot about the other person, so like in real life, it's your chance to introduce yourself, and tell the other person about you, so they can get to know you. Then, they can write back and tell you about themselves, thus starting a new friendship.

Writing following letters

Once introductions are out of the way, it's time to get interested in each other's lives. Don't be an annoying pen pal and record what you ate for breakfast, what you wore to school or work, how many times you talked on the phone, etc. To be honest, it's not that interesting, and it's not likely that the other person cares. However, it's good to ask about the other person's country and culture (ask educated questions,) and catch up on current events-- national, international, and personal.

Swapping items

Sometimes, it's nice to swap small items with your pen pals. To avoid outrageous postal costs, make it things that can fit into your letter envelope, or things that can fit into small packages. Stickers, postcards, photos, magnets, keychains, and buttons/pins are all good ideas for swapping.

These are just a few simple things to keep in mind when you are writing your pen pals. If you follow them to the best of your ability, you will have successful pen pal friendships.

If you're looking for pen pals, I have had huge success on Facebook. If you're on that social networking site, do a group search for "pen pals" or "snail mail" and work your way through the results. You'll meet plenty of nice people from different countries, with a plethora of interests. You're sure to find the right pen pal(s) for you.

Happy writing!