Almost a year ago, I started looking for an app with a focused aim: to meet people around the globe, that would enjoy exchanging letters and practice language learning.
When I first started using Slowly, I thought that it would be of no help at all. Having tried quite a few apps in the past, I expected that the PenPal exchanges would eventually fade and people would just lose interest in language learning. However, not only did it help me realize this goal, it exceeded my expectations. Not only I found consistent people with the same language learning goals as me, but also formed PenPal friendships, that help me see the world through their lens. Through their unique writing style I can get a glimpse of their culture and their traditions, something that one cannot experience through reading information on the internet. This insight and interactions further helped me advance my language skills to another level and boosted my motivation to learn another language! Knowing you have opportunities that can lead to such fruitful interactions can do wonders for your goals!
Last but not least, I want to point out how much my horizons have broadened. Meeting people from different backgrounds, exchanging information in a consistent manner about our cultures and habits, understanding and accepting our different views on various subjects etc, all these made me realise how little I know about the world and how much more there is behind a screen. And this is something that can easily be forgotten as one grows up and gets lost in the routine.
I don’t know what other experiences I might gather in the future, but so far I can say that I gathered this: a letter can be a window to someone’s soul and, if you meet the right gals, whole new worlds can open to you.
