From ehow.com – Pen pals have been around for decades. In the past, the only way that pen pals could communicate was by sending letters on paper. Schools held pen pal matching programs, in which students could start communicating with students in other countries. The traditional way of sending mail for pen pals changed significantly because of the Internet. Today, most pen pal programs rely on e-mail. Communication is instantaneous, so you don’t have to wait weeks for letters to reach your pen pal.

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/about_4596961_pen-pals.html

This is postcard to Patricia from the local postmistress.