A Change of Scenery & My August Snail Mail Collective Gift

Thursday, September 26: Go to a coffee shop. Order a favorite drink. Write about what makes you happy and what makes you sad. Or write about anything you'd like! Bonus points for including a photo from the coffee shop.

*if you can't make it to a coffee shop, at least leave your usual space and write someplace new.

 

I didn't make it to a coffee shop today :-(  However, I did take some time to leave my usual "blogging space" (butt planted on the couch in front of the TV), and sat outside on our patio for a while.  A simple change in location even within our home was actually surprisingly refreshing.  We purchased a nice little patio set when we moved here, but hardly ever actually use it- usually heat or bugs keep us inside.  So it was nice to sit out there for a while and enjoy some fresh air and "new scenery" before it got too hot. 

 

 

Since today is a bit of a free topic, I thought I'd take the opportunity to write about my Snail Mail Collective gift that arrived in the mail at the end of last week!  This was my second month participating in the exchange.  You can read about my first month in the exchange HERE.  The exchange was created by two great expat bloggers- Melyssa at The Nectar Collective and Chelsea over at Lost In Travels.  You can read more specifics about the exchange HERE.  But, the basics of the exchange are: you are paired with another participating blogger from a different part of the world, you spend a few weeks getting to know each other through emails and getting to reading that person's blog, and then at the end of it, you exchange a $5 or under gift from your country that centers around the specified theme for that month. 

This past month, I was paired with Louise from the blog Stars In Jars.  Louise just recently moved to London after a short stint with her parents in Ireland and a year teaching in South Korea.  It was fun to learn more about her and her experiences living in both South Korea and the UK! 

The theme for this month's exchange was "Under the Sea."  I struggled with finding a small gift to match this theme, but Louise was really creative with what she sent! 

My Snail Mail Gift (Please ignore the dead plants in the background...)

I felt very important receiving mail with a "Royal Mail" sticker on it :-) 

 I love that she sent me a copy of one of her favorite books The Old Man and the Sea!  And that card?  How cute is that?!  I'm a little card/stationery obsessed, so I really loved the card- and how even that tied into the theme.  I'm excited to add this book to my list of books to read- I feel like it's a classic that I should definitely have in my repertoire. 

Thanks, Louise!