Write a letter to a place that shaped you, a city, a house, an airport, a café, an ocean. Reflect on the location that made you who you are, and how it still moves through your story today.
Letters Now Sent, Volume II is an invitation to reflect on the place, or places, we once called home, or still call home from afar.
This project is for anyone who has left a place that shaped them in some meaningful way. It's for the location that was transformative to how you move through the world. International mobility is not a prerequisite, but a plus.
For this collection, we invite you to write a letter to a location, a city, town, country, park, forest, ocean, school, or place; an airport, café, library, or house, anywhere that holds part of your story.
Choose a place that was a defining element in your life, one that shaped your experiences, relationships, memories, or the way you move through the world.
Choose a location that shaped you meaningfully. Tell us what made it impactful, and the feelings it stirred in you, both then and now.
Share what you miss, what formed you, or what you continue to carry with you. Why is that place significant to you and to your story?
Share a specific event that happened there, or how you continue to celebrate that place. Write from personal experience, with honesty and nuance.
Please avoid generalities or cultural stereotypes, this is a space for authentic, individual reflection about why that place is foundational to you and to your story.
You do not have to follow this structure or a "typical" letter format, it's simply here to help you begin.
Dear Paris
Dear younger self in the apartment loft…
I'm writing from ___________
To the place that taught me / shaped me ___________
You are important to me because ___________
With Hope, Forever Connected
Open with a greeting to your place: Dear India, Dear Dulles International Airport, Dear Starbucks in Vienna, Dear Local Library…
Then set the scene, "I'm writing from…", and name why this place is an important part of your story.
Pose questions or offer hopes for the future, for the place, for its people, for yourself.
Your closing may be poetic: With Hope · Forever Connected · With Gratitude · Wishing Peace for the People Living There Now.
Use vivid language and metaphor. Your letter can be emotional, nostalgic, critical, or loving, whatever is true.
Letter length: 1,000 words maximum.
All submissions must be human written. AI-generated submissions will not be accepted, we use a tool to detect AI-generated language.
You can write in a language other than English. An English translation will be provided only if you include it; otherwise readers will be invited to use Google Translate, the same approach we took in Volume 1.
A review team will read each submission with care and may offer comments or editing suggestions to ensure clarity and resonance. You will have one month to make any edits and resubmit the revised version. Selected letters will be included in Letters Now Sent, Volume II.
This project especially welcomes voices from Third Culture Kids (TCKs), Cross-Cultural Kids (CCKs), immigrants, expats, and anyone whose understanding of home spans more than one location.
Read these submissions from Volume contributors as you find your own voice.
Share what you miss, what formed you, or what you continue to carry with you. Share why that place is significant to you, and to your story.
Submissions are welcome on an ongoing basis. Please fill out the Google Form completely. Note: submission does not guarantee publication; final selections are made following the editorial review process, based on the overall goals, themes, and space within the collection.
Fill Out the Submission Form →