There's definitely something far more genuine about getting a physical letter or card from someone, anybody with a computer can type out a quick note! yeah...I do write to those close to me

I have an e-mail penpal with whom I started corresponding about 3-1/2 years ago. Shortly after our exchanges began, one of us (I can't recall whom) suggested, "Why don't we *write* each other?" What a novel idea!

While we still e-mail each other from time to time, our main exchange of information is via long, handwritten letters. And we remember each other at birthdays and Christmastime with gifts of books and little trinkets. (Then there was the time that she tried sending chocolate coins through the mail -- from Ireland to Pennsylvania -- which didn't work so well.)

I met the love of my life through a penpal exchange, perhaps similar to what Peter's friend has established. He and I have been corresponding for more than 11 years now. But our correspondence hasn't been the same since we switched to e-mail and chat. How much I loved crafting 20-page letters that took a week or more to write. *sigh*

Denise

There is indeed something exciting about going to your mailbox and finding something there, but I find that there's also advantages to e-mail so I still like both. :) I actually have found that e-mail has *deepened* some friendships because some people find that they can type faster than they hand write and are more inclined to actually send longer and/or more frequent messages to me. I know that actually sounds contrary to why some people prefer "snail mail," but YMMV...