Originally written in Simplified Chinese, translated by OpenAI.
I started using this app in January 2023. I still remember that it was during a period when the pandemic resurfaced, and I once again returned to online classes. Staying at home all day made time feel both long and fragmented. Perhaps to ease the loneliness of being alone, I began searching online for a window to communicate with others, and that was when I came across Slowly—it opened a window for me to a wider world. In real life, I’ve always been someone who enjoys chatting, but I only have two or three friends I can truly confide in—taking the first step is never easy for me. My initial motivation for using this app was simply to connect with people from around the world. Even now, I still clearly remember the indescribable excitement of receiving my very first reply.
Through Slowly, I met many friends from different regions and countries, including some from places I had never been familiar with before. No matter how busy schoolwork gets, I always make time to write thoughtful replies, because it’s something that never fails to make me feel relaxed and happy. I especially love Slowly’s communication style, which requires waiting—whether you are sending or receiving a letter, it takes time. This is very different from other social apps. It allows me to calm down and carefully craft each letter, instead of sending words impulsively the moment they come to mind. Waiting for the other person’s reply also teaches me patience while keeping a sense of beautiful anticipation in my heart. Slowly taught me the beauty of “delayed gratification.” Sometimes, I receive no new letters for several days, and just when I’m feeling disappointed, the next morning I see several letters on their way. That kind of surprise is something instant messaging apps can never provide. Waiting gives every conversation a sense of ceremony and makes anticipation itself a form of enjoyment.
In the beginning, I mainly corresponded with users from Taiwan—partly because writing in Chinese was easier, and also because the first two users automatically matched to me were both from Taiwan. The first person who replied to me was a girl my age. We talked about many things: school life, study pressure, even complaining about teachers… Although we eventually lost contact, that period of conversation still left a deep impression on me.
My first *true* foreign pen pal was a Japanese girl around my age. From then on, our exchanges were no longer limited to daily life; we began discussing cultural topics as well. What impressed me the most was when I introduced her to traditional Chinese musical instruments—I was truly delighted, feeling that the music theory I had learned finally became useful. It was also around that time that I developed the desire to learn Japanese, and I’ve kept studying it ever since.
Over these days, I’ve written and received many letters. Although many pen pals stopped replying after brief exchanges, each conversation became a unique part of my memory. Of course, not every pen-friend connection can last long. Some people gradually stop writing back, but I no longer feel regret. Because I know that, at some moment, we both sincerely opened a small part of our worlds to each other. And that alone is precious enough.
Now, I am still writing, waiting, and hoping on Slowly. If you also want to try a different kind of communication, why not start here? Perhaps the next letter that travels across mountains and seas is on its way to you.
