Hello! I’m happy to introduce you all to the Penpal of the Week who’s a fellow Canadian this time!

Please tell us about you!

Hey everyone! My name is Lorinda and I’m 33 years old. I live in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada in a small apartment that I share with my cat & rabbit.

I’m a very proud Canadian!

The cat is Jinx, a rescue I fostered when I worked at the Humane Society and loved too much to give her back. It’s turned into a very love/hate relationship. I love her when she’s sleeping, and hate her when I’m trying to sleep! lol

Jinx in the bathtub.

The rabbit is Harley, and I got her when my best friend, Emma, had to move back to England. She’s been with me for two years and still feels like she belongs to Emma, not me. The two animals get along well although I know Jinx wonders why Harley isn’t playful, and likes to pounce on the bunny to get her attention.

Harley Bunny!!

I work as a Health Care Aide doing home care for seniors and find it very rewarding, albeit exhausting. I worked for 10 years as a Graphic Designer but changed careers due to the job market and being drained of creativity. My work is keeping me extremely busy and I’m trying to focus on it so I can have more money for travelling and so I can go back to school. In my spare time though I like to create handmade greeting cards, collages, and work on my mixed media journal. This winter I’m hoping on creating a 2-story doll house. Oh, and I also love photography… especially taking photos in graveyards. I find them extremely beautiful and peaceful.

Lastly, I have two older brothers and one of them is a zombie artist. If you’re interested in that kind of art, you can check out his site at: http://idrawzombies.com/

A portrait of me as a zombie, drawn by my brother.

Describe your personality in 10 words!

Quirky, caring, laid back, creative, independent, geeky, inquisitive, witty & adventurous.

How long have you been penpalling? How did you first start? Tell us about your first penpal!

I started in high school by finding similar souls on the internet… back in the early stages of the internet where everything was BBS and IRC. If you know what I’m talking about then you’re awesome like me! :) There were a few people but they were hit & miss, until I met this guy who shared similar interests. We wrote each other a lot and it was fun because that’s when I started designing my own envelopes using maps, magazine pages or whatever else sparked my creativity.

This is a picture I took in Vicksburg, Mississippi.

I liked it so much I have a large version hanging in my apartment.

How many penpals do you have now and where are they from?

Hmmm… good question! In terms of regular penpals, then it’s just one. It’s a man named Bobby that I’ve known for at least 15 years. We lost touch for awhile as life got busy and crazy, but last year we started writing to each other again and it’s very cathartic. It’s nice writing to someone who knows all about me and understands the ups and downs I’ve had in life. But on the lighter side, I have 4 other penpals that I write casually to… which I get to in the next question. :)

Self portrait I took for photography class.

What are your favorite topics to discuss in letters?

Pretty much anything. I like to carry note cards around with me so I can jot down random thoughts when they happen and drop them off in the mail right away. Keeps things interesting.

Otherwise I’m willing to talk about anything!

Me as a sorceress for a Halloween party.

What are you looking for in a penpal?

Someone who doesn’t take penpalling extremely seriously. What I mean is, I don’t always need a full life story or a detailed account of the days events. Those letters are nice but sometimes I just want random thoughts, personal views on the world and maybe just a quick postcard from your home town.

What do you like the most about penpalling?

I like getting to know other people’s life and culture, but I also like sharing my own world with others. I also like getting creative with my stationery. Sometimes I spend more time on that than the letter.

Just a third of my art and stationery supplies!!!

In what language(s) do you correspond?

Just English. I know some German and would like to further my knowledge but so far have had no luck finding a steady German penpal.

What are some of your habits in regards to letter writing?

One of my habits, which might irritate some people, is that if the letter is more than a couple of pages long then I’ll tend to type it. I was in a car accident and damaged my hand, so writing hurts after a while. Plus I find typing lets me do a long stream of consciousness and those can make for interesting letters! Don’t worry though… even typed letters have funky stationery. Other times though I’ll hand write a few pages on some cute paper, or as I’ve said previously, just send a card. Usually my letters are written in my living room. As for how long it takes me to respond, it honestly depends on my work schedule. Sometimes I do it that day, other times it takes me a week.

Has anything strange/funny ever happened to you since you’ve been penpalling?

Sadly, I’ve never really received anything or been asked for anything. I guess the most unusual thing I’ve received was a knitted yellow rose on a stem that was sent to me shortly after I lost my grandparents.

Have you met any of your penpals?

I met Bobby in 2003 when I was on a roadtrip and travelled through his state. We spent a few hours together having lunch before he had to leave and I needed to hit the road again. Also, I guess you could say my best friend Emma started off as a penpal and we eventually started talking on the phone and then we met. Those are my only two experiences.

 I’m a sucker for sugar cereal and stock up when I go to the US.

Are you currently looking for more penpals?

I’d love some more penpals!  If anyone is interested, here’s my profile on interpals or you can email me at lorinda@mts.net

Thank you Lorinda! And by the way, I do remember BBS and IRC! Does anyone else do too?! Those were the days… :)