We hear that pen pals and snail mail are “in” for 2026 but for us making those magical connections via the mail has been on trend since 2013! We’ve been sending happy mail for nearly thirteen years now, so we here at Geek Girl Pen Pals are always ready to put a stamp on good old fashioned letter writing. Still not convinced? Here are five reasons to get a pen pal this year!
Cute Stationery
Maybe you’re someone who has a stash of cute paper, stickers and washi tape. Maybe you like to doodle and embellish. Or maybe you’re looking for a reason to start a collection of really fancy pens with all kinds of different inks that you can try out on each line of your letter. Whatever your jam, pen palling is the perfect opportunity to nerd out about stationery! There are so many nice papers, note cards, little extras and more that you can do with letters — or practice your paper folding skills and turn your note into art!
Trade Local Treats
When you have a pen pal who lives in a different part of the country (or maybe a different country entirely!) one of the fun things you can do is trade local treats! Maybe you want to swap candy or maybe you want to share local music or customs. Maybe you just want to send really cool postcards with photos of local art or landmarks. There are all kinds of ways to share the things you love about where you live and to learn about someone else’s home, too!
Reset Your Attention Span
We hear all the time about how social media is shrinking our attention spans and honestly, that seems pretty accurate. But something longform like writing a letter by hand can change the way your brain works! Writing something out gives your brain something to focus on that takes all of your concentration. There’s also something very satisfying about coming up with things to share — everything from describing how your day went to a book you just finished to an event you attended is something you can share with your pen pal!
Make a New Friend
One of our favorite parts of Geek Girl Pen Pals is seeing the friendships blossom over time! A pen pal is a potential bestie just waiting to happen over the course of shared letters. Especially if you’ve got something in common with your pal, it can be really fun to develop a brand new friendship with someone and really take the time to get to know them via letter writing! That’s one of the main reasons we ask for your 5 top “geek loves” — the things you nerd out about like your hobbies, fandoms and interests — because it gives you an immediate connection to share with your new match!
Because Pen Pals Are Just Fun
Let’s face it — it’s way more fun to get a letter from a friend in the mail than another piece of junk or *shudder* another bill to pay. Even without the cute stationery, a simple postcard or short letter on a piece of lined paper can turn an entire day around. There’s something beautiful about the tangible nature of pen palling, about the connection you form with someone who places an object in the mail that you can hold in your hand a few days later. Writing a letter is a personal act of intentional connection, and that kind of purposeful action can truly change the world.
