How did you do? The goal was to send something in the mail each day the post ran for a total of twenty-three items. Did you succeed? Congratulations!
And if you didn’t… Did you send more mail than if you hadn’t taken the Challenge? Did you enjoy mailing things? Then you succeeded. Well done!
It was exciting to see so many people involved and the growing community. Yes, we had some website bobbles at the beginning, but you were all amazingly gracious about it. I’ve seen a lot of you say that you will continue sending mail, but perhaps at slower pace. I think that’s appropriate. The challenge is about learning to slow down and take a little bit of time each day to connect with someone. You may not have received a reply in the mail, but I can guarantee that you still touched the person you wrote to.
For me, what I love best about mail is that it is a way of making the moment tangible. Keep finding those moments. Keep writing.
I’ll see you at the post office.
I had such a wonderful time this month! I mailed more than 23 items, but I still have to do an exact count. I definitely sent more mail than I would have if I hadn’t taken part in the challenge, and I get excited every time I go to mail something at the post office or when I go to check my mailbox 🙂
One of my favorite parts was making my own envelopes or decorating existing ones I had. I love photography and I’ve been thinking of getting some of my photos printed as postcards. For next year, I plan to prepare more in advance and will definitely send as many Valentines as I do Christmas cards.
@maryrobinette The only thing I’ve noticed, is that I still haven’t been awarded the ‘winner’ achievement, even though I have reported 23 days of mail (the tracker on the achievement says I’ve only completed 92% of the badge). Is there a way to fix that?
This challenge makes February more exciting! I hope you had a good month in letter writing like me!
I haven’t been awarded the winner badge either even though I reported in each day.
What a blast I have had, I was already a long time penpal and letter writer this challenge gave me the opportunity to connect with others, whether they choose to become penfriends with me is a extra special touch.
I made it a point to visit the post office 6 days a week, I usually go 3 days per week, I found the location of mailboxes in parts of the city I visit on occasion and now I know where the mailboxes are. I especially enjoyed sending out random Valentine’s to people on the penpal list and was pleasantly surprised to receive a reply.
I have 3 upcoming events this Spring and I mailed out the invitations in batches, since they were handcrafted it was the easy way to go. I certainly mailed more than 23 pieces of mail this month, and will continue to write to new friends made here and those that have been with my most of my life.
Mary, thank you for this challenge, you have given me new reasons to write more letters, and I have the beginnings of some wonderful new pen friends. I am looking forward to next year.
I appreciated the accountability and am glad I got BACK into the habit of writing and mailing cards!
I didn’t send letters every day, I did miss a few. But I sent a LOT more than usual, and had a lot of fun on the forums here. I also started receiving more mail, not necessarily from other letter month friends…my dad reads my blog (where I mentioned this project), and today I received a letter from him that started: “thought a handwritten letter would be a novelty. So much warmer to me than email….conveys some of the writer’s character etc. in the penmanship…Feels like it slows down life a bit instead of the usual everyday rush.” I think we are on the same wavelength 🙂
I would have liked to have mailed more but a growing family emergency made it hard to keep going some days. However, I liked the replies I received; my partner hand carried some of them to me from our home in Oakland, CA. Plus, since I sent out a request for pen pals on Twitter, I had a few people send me their addresses and I wrote to them which meant I got to meet new folks. That made it worth it.
It’s a great challenge and I look forward to doing this again.
I didn’t quite make it. 🙁 The last week slipped away from me without mailing anything personal. I did, however, mail 23 postcards, letters and packages earlier in the month and received 11 of the badges! It was really nice to get back to writing letters, and I’m so glad I came across the challenge at the end of January.
Yesterday, I was pleasantly surprised to find a postcard from a friend in Scotland who was responding to my letter to him from early in the month. Old friends, in particular, have enjoyed receiving some mail, and I’ve definitely enjoyed receiving the few pieces that have come my way in return!
Thank you for providing the challenge and encouragement! 🙂
In February 2013 I wrote a total of 80 letters! I hope we all had a good February as the next time around in 2014 looks equally fun!
Mary, thank you SO much for this incredibly inspiring challenge! The fun of the achievement “badges”, the delight of the posts of others, encouraging and inspiring blogs by yourself and others and of course the joy of taking the time to really make a connection with another. Is there any way at all we could continue the site even if it’s a once a week challenge?
Thanks again for all your labors of love!
Tammy
Found this on Facebook – “52 Weeks of Mail, brought to you by Etsy Greetings Team, is designed to encourage people to be more intentional about relationships and keeping in touch with friends and family by sending out a card or letter each week, for the next year. I don’t know about you, but I LOVE getting a personal, hand-written card or letter in the mail. ”
It started in October 2011, and they are now on their second year.
I really enjoyed participating. The month flew by and the whole family enjoyed hearing about “The Letters”. -Anne
Marry,
Thank you for letting me participate in this exciting event. I’m writing from Tokyo. I followed your instructions and succeeded in sending out 25 letters. I somehow made this challenge a bit more challenging in that I decided to draw etegamis and efutoes. Have you ever heard of them? An etegami is characterized by a picture drawn by the sender, while an efuto is a picture-decorated envelope in which a short message is written. Also, I’ve wrote about this site in my blog, which is visited by an average of 1,000 persons per day. The article will be published in a monthly magazine, too. Thank you!
efuto = mail art? Does that seem right?
Your challenges sound wonderful! Could you post your blog or do you have any photos up on another site? I would love to see some of your work.
Okay, after a bit of online research I understand etegami to be a picture-letter, a hand-painted postcard accompanied by a written message (often an ordinary image and a greeting, bit of poetry, etc.). Wonderful!
Is efuto a hand-handrawn or painted envelope?
I had a blast this month! I sent out a total of 96 postcards & letters. I had a few replies & am enjoying my new pen pals.
Thank you so much for creating this challenge. I will be back next year. 🙂
I was slightly disappointed with the amount I sent – only 38 letters and postcards, however, I did manage to mail something every postal day. Last year on the 1st Feb, I sent 22 Postcrossing postcards…. (in total, 54 postcards and 29 letters, for 2012 Lettermo). Maybe I have been pacing myself better, and maybe writing better quality letters…
I think I’ll try to keep the challenge going in March.
I did it! I definitely will continue sending mail trough this whole year (and life). Unfortunately i didn`t get the “winner” achievement either though i should have the right amount of items posted.
I missed a couple days but for the most part mailed alot. Thank you for doing this. 🙂