KEEPING IN TOUCH: the bicycle

I lived in three different countries when I was growing up so as a result I have a lot of friends that I don't get to see very often, some of them I haven't seen for nearly 10 years! I try to keep in touch over Facebook, but sometimes the day-to-day stuff I end up writing isn't all that interesting when our lives are so different now, we don't know each other's friends and correspondence is sporadic. It seems shallow, but these short snippets of conversation aren't all that engaging.

Just before Christmas, a strange parcel dropped onto my doormat. I'm an internet shopping fiend, but the envelope was postmarked Australia and I was sure I hadn't ordered anything from there lately! I opened it to reveal a strange, nondescript journal, but when I looked inside the penny dropped.

A few years ago, a couple of my old school friends from Japan had the idea to start a journal that we would write in and send across the world to each other. I don't know if you ever did this, but when I was in high school we used to stock up on blank notebooks and write notes to each other during class, then pass them onto each other to read and reply. I have stacks of these books hidden away, so this new version was such a fun reminder.

The rules are simple: each person fills in at least 1 one page, but no more than 2 and then sends it onto a new continent. Entries can include anything from writing and sketches to photographs, newspaper clippings and so on.

Don't you think it's such a fun idea? Does it inspire you to start something similar? I think it would be fun to write postcards, with each person adding another postcard to the bundle when they get it. It really warmed my heart to read through all my friends' entries (some of the girls I don't even know, so it was fun to get to know a little more about my friends' friends). I'm just waiting for something noteworthy to happen now before I pass it on!