A note from abroad.

For most of us…

Fall is laying its leaves upon us.

The smell of pumpkin spice lattes is in the air.

Runners are beginning to bundle up.

The Halloween shops are opening their doors.

Students are getting ready to brace for the cold weather.

(Plus, it’s the perfect season for love letter writing! Am I right?)

But, for me…

The fall leaves are my computer background.

Pumpkin spice candles are being sent in the mail.

I am beginning to strip down my running clothes.

The flower shops are opening their doors.

Students are getting ready for summer fun.

I graduated from college in May and decided to follow my heart and became volunteer Teaching English as a Foreign language teacher for the Ministry of Education in Chile. I am currently writing my love letters from a small town in the south Chile – a town where the stationary is scarce, good coffee is rare, and the pumpkin lattes are non-existent.

No pretty paper?! No caffeine?! No coffee shops playing with the indie folk tunes of fall?! How could one possibly write love letters?!

The answer? Creativity. Creativity. Creativity. When you want to pour your words out to the world and help add a little bit of sparkle tosomeone’s life the juices start to flow.

Sending letters home to the states, I have used paper and envelopes with my own personalization. But, leaving behind letters in between the seats on the buses, in the bathroom stalls at my elementary school, stuck behind items in the grocery aisles, and in the refrigerator for my family, I have been able to put my brain to the test.

Next time you want to write a letter, remember the following:

1. Napkins

2. Old Coffee Cans

3. Lipstick on the Bathroom Mirror (1980’s style!)

4. Milk Cartons in the Refrigerator

5. Notes on a Cellphone

6. The Blackboard in a Classroom

7. Chocolate Bars

8. Receipts

9. Hands

10. The Inside of Book Covers

Remembering these items you can write a love letter anytime! (Even if you are in a place where the pumpkin spice lattes are non-existent and the stationary is scarce, you can shine a light on others and spread sonrisas everywhere.)

…

Bailey joins our team as a runner and a yogi; a latte drinker and a pseudo-vegetarian; a celebrator of things big and small; and a traveler. This recent communications and writing graduate from Ithaca College can now add love letter writer to the list. Bailey pours her words on paper because she finds incredible joy in spilling her heart out into something that people can physically hold on to and finds happiness in making others feel appreciated. At 22, she is spreading her love, light, smile, and words in Chiguayante, Chile as a volunteer English teacher. You can check out her adventures at postcardsfrommytwenties.tumblr.com.