It's become a habit for me to carry with me my holiday cards to start them over Thanksgiving travel. I really like writing letters on airplanes and I find cards are a nice digestif after the big event. My typical letter sack carry for this trip is as follows:
Pens- I have a festive red one, but people have complained about trying to read red text. If I'm using a bright color, typically it'll only be for a short message. Otherwise, I stick to blacks, blue/blacks, and an ochre I really like. Since I travel on planes (and am not the biggest fan of fountain pens anyway) I don't bring fountain pens. You certainly can fly with fountain pens. The most prudent disassemble and empty their pens, but just throw it all in a plastic snack bag and you should be fine.
Cards- I write a great big bunch of variously religious people; so I have a great big bunch of variously religious cards. More traditional ones go to the more traditional people. It's pretty simple. I do have some pen pals who emphatically DO NOT want holiday cards. I make sure to note that next to their entry in my address book.
Address Book- I take my address book because I send a holiday card to anyone in my address book who wants one. When I write the card, I make a mark next to the entry with an erasable stamp. The next time I get a letter or card from that person, the stamp gets erased. Come June, if the stamp is still there... well, I can only write so many cards. You gotta send 'em to get 'em, folks!
Erasable Stamp- As explained above.
Stationery- Sometimes a card doesn't have enough room, and so I make certain to have extra pages available.
Letters to Return- If I don't double-up the card with a return letter, then I'm doing double the work. That seems silly to me.
You may have noticed that envelopes aren't on this list. That's for two reasons. If you put the card in the envelope and you don't immediately address that envelope, you run the risk of having to ruin that envelope to figure out where to send it. Also, to carry envelopes is to carry more paper. I think I've got enough.
So this is only my Holiday Card Writing Travel Carry. I pick different things to take if I want to try for Mail Art Along The Way. While I can get away with card writing in mixed family company, the scissors and glue stick are less sociable. I don't try to mail art at Thanksgiving. But that doesn't mean you can't! Share your travel letter tips in the comments below, and have a wonderful holiday!
Oh my god, look at your super-vintage Pod Post letter bag! <3
Posted by: Carolee | November 21, 2018 at 11:26 AM