Hi! I’m Zuzu. And I’m Laci.
And we’ve been friends for seven years. We met in college at the University of Texas.
In 2012 we started writing postcards to each other. We had just graduated college and were going through the awkward and weird growing pains of figuring out life as an adult. (Which we still are!) But at the time it seemed like this cool way of keeping up with each other.
And here we are, four years and a couple hundred postcards later, and Postcard Friday is still going strong.
What is Postcard Friday?
Laci: The best thing ever. Zuzu and I write each other a post card each Friday. The rules are simple, anything goes, but it has to have: 1) the date; 2) the week number; and 3) a quote.
And you have to save them! If you miss a week, just pick up where you left off.
Zuzu: It’s the most fun ever! Every Friday you write a postcard and send it out, snail mail style. Make sure to write down the date, too. For extra fun, keep track of how many you’ve written and keep them in a safe place so you can read them again later. Letters are always written from the heart and are read without judgment. It’s a way to stay connected to a special someone and to yourself.
What does it mean to you?
Laci: Postcard Friday is really special to me. It tells the story of my and Zuzu’s friendship over the years. Zuzu has always been an important person in my life. As friends, I think it really helped us understand each other in a very cool way. In a sense, it was a joint diary—this safe place to share anything.
But it’s hard—life has thrown some major whammies at us both as people and as friends. But I guess that’s the reality of life. There will be tough stuff. I think a true test of friendship is finding your way through life’s tangles and complications and coming back to each other despite the ebb and flow and all-out curveballs. For us, Postcard Friday has always been that common thread bringing us back.
It’s a creative outlet unlike any other I’ve ever experienced.
Zuzu: Postcard Friday is my way of keeping and losing track of time all at once. It brings me back down into my roots and helps me to remember that not all things need to be texted, emailed, or tweeted. Sometimes life asks us to slow down and kick it old school. What better way than writing to your best friend and sharing a part of yourself?
What is your favorite part?
Laci: Wow. The most special part of all of this has been sitting down to write about it. I always knew it was something special that we did. But when you lay out the hundreds of postcards in one place at one time, it’s pretty impressive. And seeing how much we’ve evolved and our outlooks have shifted—you know, boyfriends coming and going and coming back again, new cities, new jobs, new hobbies—it’s all really beautiful.
And it allowed me to keep up with Zu, no matter where we were in life. In 2013 I moved cities for a job and we kept the cards going long distance, and last year I moved back. It’s very cool to see the evolution of not only our friendship, but of ourselves.
Zuzu: Taking responsibility for being consistent. It’s hard to take time every single Friday to write a letter to a friend. It’s rewarding to see our progress and it feels good to write with no expectations, no objectives, and no judgment. Obviously picking out funny and adorable postcards is my other favorite part. It’s as if I’m purchasing a little gift every time I pick one out!
Why did you do it?
Laci: Well, for one, I really, really love cards. I always have. I guess to me, cards are a cool snapshot in time. A picture is wonderful, but memory is a funny thing. Our brains can be sneaky and manipulate how we remember things. But a card? That tells a story. It’s the real version of how things were.
Zuzu: Because we love it. It makes us feel good and it keeps us in tune with one another and what’s going on in life. It’s our special way of scrapbooking our friendship and our lives. It’s a creative outlet unlike any other I’ve ever experienced. It sets my soul free from the day-to-day crap.
Seeing how much we’ve evolved and our outlooks have shifted—it’s all really beautiful.
What did you learn?
Laci: Looking back, Postcard Friday really showed me how I see the world. Journaling is such a powerful thing. That sort of self-reflection is really important. And doing it in this unlikely way made us 1) stay accountable! Someone else is sharing with you and counting on you to do the same, so you have to do your part and hold up your end of the bargain. And 2) it really showed me that I’m never alone in this life. That’s a good feeling.
Zuzu: I’ve learned that time flies when you’re having fun. I can’t believe we’ve been writing to each other for the past five years! I love knowing that all friendships have their ups and downs and the good ones are worth fighting for. Laci and I have been through a lot in the past seven years, and I love knowing that our letters have carried us through the good times and the bad. I’ve learned that writing openly and honestly starts with being open and honest with yourself.
Any advice for other friends wanting to stay connected?
Laci: The postcards made it feel like I always had a cheerleader rooting for me. I keep them in my car, in my desk drawer, all over my house. I hope mine did the same for her. To anyone with a best friend out there—whether you’re long distance, in the same city, whatever the circumstances—I think you should give it a try it! And I hope you’ll find it as special and fulfilling as we have.
Zuzu: DO IT! Create a routine and stick with it. Make a special trip to pick out your first couple post cards and take pride in writing them. Be creative and be consistent! Choose a pen pal who is special to you. Someone who knows how to make you laugh, cheer you up when you’re down, loves you for who you are, and listens with an open heart. Share a piece of yourself in every letter. Have fun!
Check out a selection of Postcard Fridays below:
[envira-gallery id=”46429″]
—
Zuzu Perkal and Laci Mosier are two friends living and loving in Austin, Texas, where they spend most days soaking up the sunshine, creativity and wonderful weirdness. Laci is a copywriter, yoga-junkie, runner and pirate-dog owner. Zuzu is an artist, photographer, yoga instructor and pizza lover. Follow their adventures @LaciBeeeee and @zuzubee.