Need a Time out, Going on Trip, Vacation?
Vacation notice I sent to my penpals.
Had been busy with a lot of reading, writing, research and other work in a new project in my internet journey.
Very recently I had this good phase, with lots of ideas and creativity, but that was focused into my Tech blog and my participation in some Fediverse instances.
Letters had been accumulating on my inbox, as I prefer not to open a letter until I am ready and able to respond to it, immediately and with proper care, time, attention.
Since days were passing and I wasn't getting the energy to write these replies, I felt I needed a vacation from Slowly, after one year of intense usage.
Thought of sharing the open letter I sent, warning my penpals I was taking some time off. Maybe useful or inspiring someone else in similar circumstances? Here it goes then.
An open letter to the Slowly friends I correspond with.
Dear friend,
I apologize for the delay in responding to your letter, which is waiting here in my inbox for my reading, attention and an appropriate response.
What happens is that I am quite involved in a new project, on the internet, and I have written for about 10 to 12 hours a day as part of it.
At the end of the day, there is no energy left to actively sit and read and answer the many letters that are here, awaiting my action.
I'm sorry it took so long, but it's an important and rewarding project for me — I've been writing a lot of new pages on my Technology Blog about aspects of this involvement.
I hope to be able to keep normal correspondence again soon, and this month I celebrate my first anniversary, a year using Slowly, intensely.
I thought I'd send you this note so you know your letter hasn't been forgotten, or your account removed from my list. It's just that I really need a vacation from Slowly.
I'll be back soon, God willing; no date set, maybe 2 or 3 weeks? Depending on how things go.
Thank you for your attention and friendship!
Yann.
Giving Notice is Important
It could be a shorter and more personal message, whichever fits the style of communication with your pen pal friends. But don't leave them hanging if you are away for a week or longer — some people might think you have Removed them from your list (Ghosting is a rude gesture).
And they might in turn Remove you from their own lists, not seeing your replies and messages when hopefully things return to normal.
Sometimes we know we will be away for a trip or on work assignment, and likely less able to respond as usual. Time passes quickly, a month went by; I am now returning to reading and replying to my pen pal letters, and it's harder to catch up if your letter style is Long Form...
Post a Notice on your Profile too ?
A friend at Reddit mentioned editing her Profile's Bio / About Me, and including a warning to expect delayed responses :
I also wrote at the top of my About Me a little 'Please Read Me' section, for any current pen pal who clicks on my profile. It just states my acknowledgement of the delay, gratitude for their patience and such.
...and upon reading that, I had to go and look it up. :)
I know I haven't responded to some of you for quite a while. I'm having a rough time right now, please believe me when I say your patience means the world to me. I look forward to when I'm in a better state to write back.
This can be effective — for any current pen pal that notices your absence and visits the profile to check (which I do on occasion). Or to new people if you have 'Accepting New Friends' enabled — although in case of a 'vacation' it might be best to turn that off for now.
Famous Last Words
Special thank you to all the folks behind the SLOWLY app.
Letters we share, with pen pals all over the world. A modern day take in the traditional penpal experience. Come and join us, using SLOWLY.
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@friends-near-and-afar-letters-we-share@wordsmith.social
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