Mail Adventures in 2024

Of the last few years, 2024 is not the year I have sent the most mail. 

Postal services are not working properly, at least in my area. Most people I write to are already aware of my complaints: In November, the number of days I received mail reached the terrifying figure of one day. (It had been two days in October, and three in September.) After that, 35 days without mail. It is not my penfriends' fault, of course. It is not even the postman's fault. But, you know, it is discouraging.

Besides that, the mail box I like to use (because it is on the way to work) is still out of service. I guess some of my letters and postcards got caught in the storm that caused the water leaks, and we lost them forever. Besides that, the Mail Monsters attacked a couple of letters, but luckily they survived.

The saddest of all things is that a pen friend passed away.

·.·.·.·.·oOo·.·.·.·.·

All in all, I was tempted to write that this has not been a good mail year. However, I realised that it has been, as far as this blog is concerned:

• In May, Mail Adventures reached the post number 4000 and its 13th Bloganniversary.
• I have published a whopping 345 posts this year. That is the highest number since this blog was born. Honestly, I do not expect to beat the record next year.
• I managed to participate all 52 weeks in Sunday Stamps. And the same for Thursday Postcard Hunt. That must be some kind of record, too. Anyway, it has been really fun, and I thank Violet for hosting both, and all the participants.

·.·.·.·.·oOo·.·.·.·.·

And, when I come to think of it, I realise that mail has had a BIG place in my life this year. For instance:

• I have got letters of all colours, and from a lot of places (Belarus, Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Ukraine, the UK, the UN and the USA). Be sure that I replied to all, when needed. 
• I have been getting the wonderful States Project postcards. I have got 31 of them, and I am learning a lot thanks to those.
• I have even got Pigeon Post and mail from Truth or Consequences, among other surprising places.
• I have not been a great postcrosser in 2024, but I sent 5 Postcrossing postcards on World Postcard Day (One of them, to Russia, expired). 
• I have not been an active mail artist either, but I have sent some envelopes made of calendars and packaging, for instance. 
• Leap Year's Day was postally celebrated, as well as the Year of the Dragon, Carnival, St Valentine's, Canada Day, Koningsdag, Beer Day, Roald Dahl Day, Mental Health Day...! More celebrated than in my out-postally life, indeed.
• I participated in the Stickers and Stamps Project. I sent a reply, too, but never heard back.
• I continued the Ink Project started the previous year. So far, 240 postcards written with the same BIC pen!
• Another 2023 project was the Peace Stamp Project. I did no expect to get so many Peace stamps in 2024!
• I managed to send in time the 12 postcards of my Good Things Project. 
• I read an interesting book about addresses: The Address Book: What Addresses Reveal about Identity, Race, Wealth and Power, by Deirdre Mask.
• I deleted my Twitter account. Until that, I added some pictures to #PostboxSaturday. 
• I wrote two letters to Santa (Still waiting for his reply).
• ...

And how has your postal year been?