Dear [your username],

I want to first thank you for signing up for this pen pal program. In a world of constant short communication, it seems we both were looking for something different. Longer paragraphs and messages of questions and tall tales of our days, spilling the tea and sharing music and art and laughter, and where a missive doesn't have to be instantaneous and instead is real with effort. I know this isn't for everyone, but I'm glad you're replying because we're both searching for that something in our lives more interactive than a journal but less clingy than a rando thinking one message "hey" means wedding bells.

Spoiler alert, it doesn't.

I'm just seeking a friend, a good voice out there, a connection just in our pockets as we face the world.

As for me, I am a 31 year old woman living in the great lakes region. I am fluent in sarcasm and kindness, happily leaving the quarter in the cart at Aldi and looking at my boss like "are you kidding me?" until my face says the words I am thinking for everyone to see. I enjoy books and music, always down for recommendations. I am hoping to get into another D&D group sometime soon. I spent this weekend playing Stardew and listening to The Stand by Stephen King (again), and I also binge watched the first season of Bridgerton... Definitely need to binge the next this upcoming weekend, I think. I like to think I cook and bake well, and made banana oatmeal cookies with butterscotch chips on Saturday. I ate like 5 in quick succession and am now entirely disinterested in the rest. Does that ever happen to you?

Last night I had a dream that I was having an affair with the guy who plays Ham from the Sandlot (but adult him I've been seeing in commercials, ofc). Like full blown, I-want-to-run-away-with-the-Great-Hambino. What do you think that means?

Anyway, friend. I hope I hear from you soon. Tell me more about you-- what're you vibing lately? What happened at work today?

Talk soon,

The Aardvark