Living and Traveling Abroad = Mail from Home Thrills
October 06, 2012
When you live and travel abroad, exploring life as a digital nomad family in a minimalist and travel lifestyle kind of way, snail mail is something that is extremely rare and adored. It is a bit like celebrating Christmas abroad, no matter what time of year it is.
Remember our first book bonanza mail when we were in Spain and Mozart has just turned six?
In an age like ours, which is not given to letter-writing, we forget
what an important part it used to play in people's lives. ~Anatole
Broyard
Recently, we got a bunch of care packages from home that my sweet 84 year old mother has been busy sending us at my request. You might remember from my travel and health or organic food posts, that I brought a ton of supplements with me this time due to my recent health challenges. Well, I ran out and some things one just can't get here, despite some good organic stores and cheap hospitals.
I've heard from several people ( unlike our winters in Spain) that sometimes mail and especially larger packages never arrive in Malaysia. Thus, I made sure that all my packages were small as I didn't want any of the expensive ones to land in customs or stolen.
What a wonderful thing is the mail, capable of conveying across continents a warm human hand-clasp. ~Author Unknown
The joy for Ms. Mozart ( who got use to reading the newspaper with Grandma) is she gets to receive all kinds of goodies like comics, articles, stickers, little gifts and cards from her perky, golfing, traveling Grandmother that she misses. Another way to stay connected to family, despite being about 9000 miles apart. It also gives them something fun to discuss in email and on Skype web cam calls.
We have a small mailbox here, so at first we were just getting notices to pick the packages up at the main post office. This was a trek and half by bus for poor hubs, but worth the effort, as he gets lots of hugs and kisses upon return. Lately, ( and perhaps a new mailman, we are not sure why) we have been finding them on our door to our apartment on a high floor. Yesterday, I got seven more packages, added to the 16 we have already received. Yea!!
So far they have all gotten here, so I am gaining more faith in the Malaysia mailing system. There are many advantage to our almost paperless, 3-laptop family world lifestyle and we can do almost everything via our laptops, but sometimes, good old fashion snail mail can be a blessing from home that comforts and meets needs.
Have you ever gotten a care package from home when you've been living at a distance? Or mailed a care package to loved ones abroad?
When you live and travel abroad, exploring life as a digital nomad family in a minimalist and travel lifestyle kind of way, snail mail is something that is extremely rare and adored. It is a bit like celebrating Christmas abroad, no matter what time of year it is.
Remember our first book bonanza mail when we were in Spain and Mozart has just turned six?
In an age like ours, which is not given to letter-writing, we forget what an important part it used to play in people's lives. ~Anatole Broyard
Recently, we got a bunch of care packages from home that my sweet 84 year old mother has been busy sending us at my request. You might remember from my travel and health or organic food posts, that I brought a ton of supplements with me this time due to my recent health challenges. Well, I ran out and some things one just can't get here, despite some good organic stores and cheap hospitals.
I've heard from several people ( unlike our winters in Spain) that sometimes mail and especially larger packages never arrive in Malaysia. Thus, I made sure that all my packages were small as I didn't want any of the expensive ones to land in customs or stolen.
What a wonderful thing is the mail, capable of conveying across continents a warm human hand-clasp. ~Author Unknown
The joy for Ms. Mozart ( who got use to reading the newspaper with Grandma) is she gets to receive all kinds of goodies like comics, articles, stickers, little gifts and cards from her perky, golfing, traveling Grandmother that she misses. Another way to stay connected to family, despite being about 9000 miles apart. It also gives them something fun to discuss in email and on Skype web cam calls.
We have a small mailbox here, so at first we were just getting notices to pick the packages up at the main post office. This was a trek and half by bus for poor hubs, but worth the effort, as he gets lots of hugs and kisses upon return. Lately, ( and perhaps a new mailman, we are not sure why) we have been finding them on our door to our apartment on a high floor. Yesterday, I got seven more packages, added to the 16 we have already received. Yea!!
So far they have all gotten here, so I am gaining more faith in the Malaysia mailing system. There are many advantage to our almost paperless, 3-laptop family world lifestyle and we can do almost everything via our laptops, but sometimes, good old fashion snail mail can be a blessing from home that comforts and meets needs.
Have you ever gotten a care package from home when you've been living at a distance? Or mailed a care package to loved ones abroad?
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Does your family participate in Postcrossing?
Posted by: Natalie | October 06, 2012 at 12:31 PM
I always loved getting something physical from home when I lived abroad. There is nothing like receiving a real handwritten letter and something personal you can't get wherever you may be. It's kind of something that's sadly being lost due to all of the online communication. So glad your daughter has always received packages from her Grandma! She must love them :)
Posted by: Jessica Holt | October 09, 2012 at 02:42 PM
I always wondered how RTW travelers handeled the mail...now I know!
Just discovered your site...really like it!
Posted by: Adam Sommer | October 10, 2012 at 12:11 PM