I started writing to penpals in grade school and been doing it ever since. I used to have as many as 60+ penfriends; now I have around 15. I still remember running to meet the postman on Saturdays, and the first thing I'd ask mom whenever I get home from school or work would be, "Any letters for me?" I would be jumping for joy if I received five letters in one day, that to me was equivalent to winning the lottery.
I would grab all my letters, head to my bedroom, and run my fingers on the stamps and admire the whole package - the cute envelopes, the soft writing papers and most of all the different handwriting styles. I couldn't wait to read my penfriends' stories from Italy, France, Egypt, Japan and more. I'd imagine how their life is like compared to mine. Sometimes, I'd imagine that I'm a letter so that I could travel to all these places that I've never seen. Reading letters from all over the world was my way of traveling to distant places; they were like windows to different worlds. In fact, it is through these letters that I found my passion in traveling. I still remember vowing to visit all my penpals' countries one day. (Indeed, I have visited and met a few.)
Writing letters is still my favorite hobby, and I intend to keep writing until I can. I do hope that in the next few days or weeks that inspiration will hit me.
What about you? What's your favorite hobby?
oh yeah, i remember buying all those scented stationaries and envelopes, writing with scented pens...it's surprising the recipient didnt faint...
ReplyDeletethanks for the follow. following you back :)
@ Cheri, Oh yes, those scented ones were too strong sometimes. Thank you for following.
ReplyDeleteI loved everything about letter writing, especially the cute and scented writing paraphernalia. I wrote to people before as well until one of my penpals had to be assigned in Malacanang Palace and I was a student nearby. He came to visit me and acted as if we were "on". It scared the hell out of me. I stopped writing to people since, but I love writing still and sending cards.
ReplyDeleteNow I just collect hotel stationeries and pens :D
Photo Cache
@ Photo Cache, Indeed, that's one scary experience you had. Funny but I also collect hotel stationeries...LOL.
ReplyDeletehahha! do you know this penpal service which i think was called IYF! International Youth Friendship or something.. i'm sure it is now obsolete. through that organization, i got writing-friends from different countries. it was really so different then; the communication was more serious and novel; and you look forward to putting some time for writing, and there's the excitement of receiving letters and cards. But now that internet makes it all easy, communication is just like chitchatting with your neighbor. and we always take it for granted.
ReplyDeletefavourite hobby would be ??? _ doing nothing ;) haha..
ReplyDeletewell i love paper, like cheri i also had a ton of stationeries.. although i really have not outgrown them.. i still have a lot of notebooks! and i mean a lot! i love paper.. i like journal writing although been really, really bad on that..