Olga, from NSW Australia, was my first pen friend. I met her through the pen pal exchange at the New York World’s Fair in 1964, and we corresponded for a few years, both of us using aerogrammes. As I recall, we both loved dogs, and would write about our own and others we knew. Our main bond, though, was Peter O’Toole, courtesy of “Lawrence of Arabia.” Those blue eyes! That intelligence! That story(which I know now was highly … shaded …)! I’m sorry we lost touch after 3 years or so, but I think of her often.
(2nd pen pal, not as much, because all she ever seemed to write was “it’s raining in Tavistock” … )
Melanie W
My first pen pal was a friend I met on a holiday trip. We were crying so hard on our last day that our parents exchanged addresses and we started writing each other for 10 years. I still think of her sometimes.
Fabi
It was in first or second grade when our class had a partner class (like a sister-city) in the UK. I am a bit fuzzy on the details, honestly. We each received a letter from a student at that school, distributed from our teacher. All them them had a generic “hello” since pairs weren’t assigned until the letters arrived to Florida. I wrote back the boy who was assigned to me.
And yeah, that’s it. I guess my first real exchange of letters beyond that first awkward “Hi, this is who I am” was in High School, when a friend who attended a different school told me about a boy she thought I’d like. She acted as a go-between and we passed notes across town to each other that way. I have a few gifts from when he went on vacation in Europe. I never actually met him, despite living in the same city, but I have fond memories.
My first penpal was my 6th grade teacher. She sent me a postcard from her travels in Germany and so it began! I am currently in my 50’s and have tried to find her so I can begin that penpal relationship again. She introduced our class to Calligraphy and I so badly want to share with her what an impact she made in my life in so many ways & let her know I’m still “lettering” away. My love of pens and paper began early and I am thankful to have had her for a pen pal all those years ago.
My first penpal was my 6th grade teacher. She sent me a postcard from her travels in Germany and so it began! I am currently in my 50’s and have tried to find her so I can begin that penpal relationship again. She introduced our class to Calligraphy and I so badly want to share with her what an impact she made in my life in so many ways & let her know I’m still “lettering” away. My love of pens and paper began early and I am thankful to have had her for a pen pal all those years ago.