https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 26 May 2026 22:44:06 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ever-wanted-a-pen-pal#post-556026 Fri, 08 Feb 2013 07:45:19 +0000 MediaNaranja 556026@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've had various pen pals over the years, and it was always so fun! In elementary school our class exchanged letters with a class in Ireland, which was fun :) I also had a pen pal from Norway named Einar, hehe. In high school we had a girl from France stay with us as part of an exchange, and we exchanged letters before &amp; after she stayed with us. I haven't really kept in touch with any of these pen pals, though.</p> <p>When I was living abroad, I got really into writing letters to friends &amp; family. Where I lived, email was not readily accessible and I only checked once a month or so, and staying caught up that way was too overwhelming. So I started to write letters, and I still do! It is great to keep in touch that way, I really enjoy the whole process. I probably send and receive 2-3 letters a month. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ever-wanted-a-pen-pal#post-556020 Fri, 08 Feb 2013 07:38:49 +0000 MrsTiz 556020@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Reese: I'm all for a HB pen-pal! :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ever-wanted-a-pen-pal#post-556017 Fri, 08 Feb 2013 07:38:05 +0000 MrsTiz 556017@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@NaturallyCathy: It was ...interesting! A friend an I were playing on the computer and found that you could go to these websites and see pictures of inmates &amp; then write to them. She dared me to, so I picked a guy with a long bleach blond mullet and wrote him! We exchanged about 5 letters total (2 from me and 2 from him + a Christmas Card from him) and then I decided that it was creepy, seeing as he was in for murder :P At least I know he can't ever come find me lol! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ever-wanted-a-pen-pal#post-555420 Thu, 07 Feb 2013 20:38:26 +0000 Dandelion 555420@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've been writing pen pals for years. I love it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ever-wanted-a-pen-pal#post-555418 Thu, 07 Feb 2013 20:36:22 +0000 Reese 555418@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@NaturallyCathy: Haha - understandable... I think I am the odd duck on this one :). I would if I had a PO box. We did this in school once.. it was quite interesting.</p> <p>ETA - FWIW .. I think my feelings would change when I had children </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ever-wanted-a-pen-pal#post-555389 Thu, 07 Feb 2013 20:28:48 +0000 Mrs. Grizzly Bear 555389@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Reese: Maybe I'm a bad Samaritan but I wouldn't feel comfortable writing to anyone in jail, falsely accused or not. :/ </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ever-wanted-a-pen-pal#post-555312 Thu, 07 Feb 2013 20:11:23 +0000 Reese 555312@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Me too...I have thought about writing prisoners in jail to satisfy this need. I would only write to people that I believed were wrongly convicted. We should start a HB pen pal match up. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ever-wanted-a-pen-pal#post-555198 Thu, 07 Feb 2013 19:54:42 +0000 MrsCastro 555198@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i had a military one when i was in 5th grade...sadly i only got a few letters from him... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ever-wanted-a-pen-pal#post-555189 Thu, 07 Feb 2013 19:53:28 +0000 Boogs 555189@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had one in elementary school. I don't know why the letters stopped, but now that I'm remind of it, it's too bad. I remember her first name, but not last. I wish I could, maybe I would be able to reconnect with her on FB! :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ever-wanted-a-pen-pal#post-554897 Thu, 07 Feb 2013 18:36:41 +0000 Mrs. Grizzly Bear 554897@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Pen: I wish there were an adult version of that. That sounds like fun :) </p> <p>@bpcmarj: Not sure - I get nostalgic for things like that, try to find people on Facebook, and hit a brick wall. Apparently not -everyone- is on facebook :/ Go figure.</p> <p>@sweetchic: I miss snail mail too. I remember when I moved getting one mass envelope from my class - I'd left in the middle of the year - telling me how much they missed me but I don't think that counts. After all I'm pretty sure it was just a way for my teacher to get her class to practice letter writing... made me feel special though!</p> <p>@MrsH: Why don't more schools do it into the later grades? Or English classes in universities promote it? I think it would be great fun and a great experience. You know and do so much more when you're older than when you're a kid... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ever-wanted-a-pen-pal#post-554891 Thu, 07 Feb 2013 18:34:51 +0000 Mrs. Pickle 554891@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I loved writing to my pen pals and receiving letters. I'm not sure what happened to any of them. </p> <p>@Mrs. Pen: the majority of my pen pals were homeschooled. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ever-wanted-a-pen-pal#post-554884 Thu, 07 Feb 2013 18:31:31 +0000 bpcmarj 554884@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had a pen pal set up through our schools in like 5th grade. I believe we wrote to each other until 9th grade or so. I still have her Lisa Frank stationary letters around somewhere. I have thought about looking her up on facebook, but then thought that might be creepy... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ever-wanted-a-pen-pal#post-554876 Thu, 07 Feb 2013 18:28:52 +0000 Mrs. Pen 554876@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@NaturallyCathy: my mom used to get this homeschooling magazine and girls could send in letters to request pen pals and that's how I found them :) it was fun! I wish my other pen pals had stayed in touch but they gradually drifted off and stopped writing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ever-wanted-a-pen-pal#post-554871 Thu, 07 Feb 2013 18:25:59 +0000 Meridian 554871@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>YES, I had tons, especially as a teenager! I moved from Chicago to Ohio when I was 11, and regularly exchanged letters with about 6 - 8 friends. And then at age 15, I moved from Ohio back to Chicago and regularly wrote to about 8 girl friends. And then at 16 , started attending a sleepaway summer camp and added another 6 pen pals... I was writing and receiving at least 3 - 4 letters every week up until I went away for college (and discovered email). </p> <p>I miss snail mail! My handwriting has become atrocious now... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ever-wanted-a-pen-pal#post-554866 Thu, 07 Feb 2013 18:23:55 +0000 Mrs. Grizzly Bear 554866@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsTiz: That is... interesting. How did that work out? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ever-wanted-a-pen-pal#post-554861 Thu, 07 Feb 2013 18:22:37 +0000 MrsTiz 554861@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had a prison pen pal in 9th or 10th grade haha! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ever-wanted-a-pen-pal#post-554859 Thu, 07 Feb 2013 18:22:26 +0000 MrsH 554859@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>we had pen pals in grade school. That is my only experience. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ever-wanted-a-pen-pal#post-554841 Thu, 07 Feb 2013 18:19:13 +0000 Mrs. Grizzly Bear 554841@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Pen: I envy you! I would still write my grandmother, were she still alive. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ever-wanted-a-pen-pal#post-554830 Thu, 07 Feb 2013 18:17:10 +0000 Mrs. Pen 554830@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had three or four pen pals as a kid- it was so fun! I loved it! I'm still in contact with one of them :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ever-wanted-a-pen-pal#post-554800 Thu, 07 Feb 2013 18:02:59 +0000 Mrs. Grizzly Bear 554800@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When I was in elementary school, my class started writing to another class in Ireland. Since we were just young kids, we didn't really have the necessary skills to write lengthy letters or write them very often. After the end of the year, the letters pettered out until I didn't recieve any more. That was my first - and last time - that I had a pen pal. However, I did keep up writing letters to my grandmother and considered her my great confidant and friend.</p> <p>What were your experiences with pen pals? Did you write friends across country or family member just around the block? Did you like writing these letters and receiving them?</p> <p>And on the flip side, in our world of ever evolving technology, do you miss the nostalgia of getting a letter in the mail? I know I do. I wish I had a pen pal. I have tons and tons of stationary but no one to use it with! Everything's email or text unless it's a special occasion. </p> <p>Anyone miss letters? </p>