Return Address – Ahmed J.

Today’s Return Address Features: @ahmedj25

What country / region do you write from?

I write from France (now living in Paris XVI), though I’m very proud of my Canadian origins (still have that return address stamp!)

What languages do you like to write letters in?

I write in English for the most part, but some are written in French, or Frenglish 🙂

How long have you been part of LetterMo, and how did you find us?

2027 will be my second FULL LetterMo. I found out about LetterMo on 25 February 2025. Ever since, I fell in love with the idea and thought behind it and offered my time and expertise to further its cause as a volunteer.

Are you currently accepting new pen pals?

Yes, I am accepting new pen pals

Do you participate in the February LetterMo challenge, or write year-round? Or both?

I write letters year round.

What does letter writing mean to you?

Writing and receiving letters allows us to explore our thoughts and emotions in a way that feels more reflective, more intentional—something that transcends physical distance. Just an excerpt of my blog post “An ode to letterwriting” on my blog.

What are your favorite letter writing tools? Where/when do you usually write your letters?

For me, I am very non-traditional. A normal Rhodia A4 lined notepad and a Pilot G-Tec-C4 in extra fine black ink. Sometimes I’ll write on my personalised notecards, but regardless, all my letters or notecards are accompanied by photos of my life! Because of my budget, I can not add a wax seal, but I do ‘seal’ my envelopes with a stamp of my personal logo to give it that same feel. I am really starting to get into stamps, for the past year I’ve been accumulating personal stamps – my logo, an address stamp that I can change the letters if I move, a stamp for my Postcrossing postcards. I think I’ll probably be spending quite a bit on stamps in the next year. I write from my tiny desk in my tiny Parisian apartment. Sometimes from a cafe or the train when out and about in the world.

What advice do you have for writing a first letter to a potential new penpal?

Just ramble. Ramble for pages. That is how I had the best connections with penpals, because out of my pages of rambles, there was something that stuck and we created a relationship on that one thing that stuck. That is now how I start all my new connections now. This is always what I suggest to others when they are getting started.

Anything else you’d like to share?

If you are ever interested in volunteering with LetterMo, be it blog contributor, forum moderator, social media, or something behind the scenes — I’m the person to get in contact with! Send us an email using the email on our contact page and let me know what you’re interested in. We are always looking for volunteers at LetterMo!