Our World Map is Growing! A Look at Our "Letters From Afar" Journey
There is nothing quite like the sound of the mail slot clinking and knowing that a new adventure has arrived! We recently started a subscription to Letters From Afar, and it has quickly become the highlight of our month.
If you’re new here, this subscription follows a lone explorer as she travels the globe, sending back beautifully hand-illustrated letters. It’s a mix of geography, history, and storytelling that brings the world right to our dining room table.
Letter One: The Great Wall & The Highlands
Our first delivery was a "double-feature" adventure! We traveled from the ancient stones of China to the misty peaks of Scotland.
Walking the Great Wall (China)
The letter painted such a vivid picture of China’s history. We spent time talking about the sheer scale of the Great Wall and the dynasties that built it. It was a great jumping-off point for us to look up the Forbidden City and learn about Chinese calligraphy.
The Magic of the Highlands (Scotland)
Then, the explorer took us to the land of legends! We loved the descriptions of the Scottish Highlands.
What we loved: Learning about the rugged landscape and the history of the clans.
The "Nessie" Factor: Of course, we ended up down a rabbit hole looking for photos of Loch Ness!
Letter Two: Deep in the Amazon (State of Pará, Brazil)
Last November, our mailbox turned into a tropical paradise. This letter focused on the State of Pará in Brazil, which was a fascinating look at the Amazon region.
The letter took us into the heart of the rainforest. We learned that Pará is a place of incredible biodiversity. We talked about:
The Amazon River: How it shapes the life of everyone living there.
The City of Belém: The gateway to the Amazon and its vibrant markets.
Conservation: It sparked a really good conversation with the kids about why the rainforest is called "the lungs of the planet."
How We’re Learning
Instead of just reading and filing these away, we’ve started a "Global Corner" in our house.
The Map Pin: Every time a letter arrives, we find the country on our wall map.
The Deep Dive: We head to the library to find one picture book about that specific culture.
The Flavor Test: We try to find a snack from that region (shortbread for Scotland was a big hit!).
Final Thoughts
If you are looking for a way to make geography feel "real" for your family, I can’t recommend this enough. It turns the world into a series of stories rather than just facts on a page.
Where should we go next? Based on where the explorer has been, where do you think she’s heading in the next letter? Let us know your guesses in the comments!
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