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Writing old school letters can be an amazing experience, provided you know how to go about it. Yes, it sounds like it’s easy to do, but just like anything else in life worth doing, there are a few rules and regulations you should keep in mind when finding a penpal or when writing to them. It’s nothing difficult or complicated to do, however. Just basic common sense and a whole lotta desire to meet people all over the world and share the love of the written word with them.
Firstly, you should know where to go about finding penpals. Some suggestions include social media, school, travels or penpal websites, of which there’s an abundance online, so you should decide whether you want to pay for access to their database or not. There are of course, free ones as well, it’s just that they might make you go through a few ads. Just make sure you’re at the right place, where it’s easy to refine your search and choose whatever you want regarding your penpal, such as country of origin, gender, age, interests, etc. Then, once you’ve found the right penpal who suits your general interests, you should write that first letter.
We know exactly how you feel. You’re sitting there, at your little desk, sipping your favorite warm beverage as you do so, a few butterflies in your stomach, a few scratched off pages, revealing only to yourself that you’ve started this letter 4 times, before you finally liked how it turned out. But don’t worry. It’s all a part of that wonderful letter writing process. So, what have you written? A little about yourself, so that your penpal knows who you are? Great! You shared a funny story that happened to you a few days ago? Even better! You asked your penpal for opinions, advice or recommendations regarding some new books you want to read or movies you want to see? Fantastic! Seems like you’ve got it all covered.
Now, it’s time to keep the conversation alive. Always make time to write to your penpal, as often as you’ve agreed upon. Keep writing stuff that interests you, stuff that moved you, stuff that has made you think. And remember to be patient. Writing letters is a great patience builder, so be glad you’ve got that going for you.
Finally, remember to stay safe. Don’t share personal info until you’ve built trust first. Even then, be careful what you share, and never give out your financial info or anything that someone might use against you. Always maintain appropriate boundaries and don’t ask rude questions or anything that would make your penpal feel uncomfortable. If you’re a minor, always let your parents know when you’re writing to someone new and maybe even consider getting a PO box (with your parents’ consent) so you don’t have to use your home address. Most importantly, never ever agree to meet someone, unless your parents are there with you.
Now that you know what to do and what not to do, it’s time to get that pen and paper out, and have some fun!
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