Keeping in touch

For the majority of my life, I've maintained long-distance relationships with friends. Changing schools at the beginning of year 10 was not my idea of a fun time, but it ultimately gave me a whole new friendship group, and knowledge of a new town. Stepping outside your comfort zone and having to "fit in" is the quickest way to meet new and interesting people.

My final years of high school were a whirlwind of letter writing (with a group of about 15 girls back in Caloundra I usually came home to new mail everyday - real mail!), and 15-hour bus trips between Mackay and Caloundra on my school holidays. This was before text messages and MSN and MySpace... and I loved picking pretty letter paper and writing to each of my friends individually. There were the occasional phone calls, but catching up over letters was so much more fun. I still have a shoe box full of letters which are always good for a laugh when I look back at them.

Similarly the same thing happened in reverse when I returned to the Sunshine Coast to go to uni... keeping in touch with my Mackay friendship circle, and surprising friends by returning for their 18th birthday parties. And again when I moved to Sydney.

Now, as the years go on, some friends are harder to keep in touch with, or some friends simply drift apart. Luckily, email is a quick and easy way to drop someone a line, just to say hi and let them know you're thinking of them. Sure, it's not as personal, and you don't keep the emails as treaured memories, but at least the thought it still there.

When I was in London, I wrote my grandmother a letter (since she has no access to email, and probably doesn't want to know anything about it), and when I received her reply in the mail, it was one of the sweetest things I had been given for years. So I say bring back the art of letter writing! It might not be time-practical for everyday communication, but for the special occasions, it's definitely a very personal, and sweet way of showing you care.

And this cute stationery set from Fred Flare (above) will definitely make you want to put pen to paper! : )

Notes on Glossy Paper