Addressing the Issue

Don’t let your message get lost in the mail! Follow these simple steps to address your envelopes with confidence and flair.

Collage credit: Caroline Siebels-Lindquist

There is a certain sophistication to letter writing. An originality that can’t be expressed over the phone, or through an email. There’s a reason people save old letters, and keep them in shoe boxes under their bed, or taped up on bathroom mirrors. It’s something personal, something that’s been crafted solely and thoughtfully for the purpose of entertaining the recipient. 

This can’t be done through a text messaging app.    

You can include a list of the nation's woes, what you plan to purchase at your next grocery store run, or a list of everything you love about your recipient! Whatever it is that your heart desires to write about, your loved ones will be glad to hear your thoughts.

However, Hadley Mcintire, who has worked for the U.S. Postal Service for almost 10 years, says that the one area where you must stick to the script is when you’re addressing your letter to your loved ones. There is a protocol to follow when addressing your envelope, and a mistake (like forgetting a stamp) can affect your letter’s travel through the postal service. 

“A letter one ounce or less would need one stamp,” says Mcintire. “As far as packages and stuff, that needs to be weighed for me to determine (the postage required).” 

Let’s return to the captivating complexities of letter writing by mastering the envelope-addressing protocol. 

Materials: 

• Envelopes

• Paper or cards that will fit inside the envelope 

• Government-issued stamps

• Writing utensil(s)

• Any flat item(s) that won’t impact the letter’s weight by too much

Procedure: 

1. Ask your loved one for their address 

   1. You can’t very well send a letter without an address! 

2. Grab a piece of paper, an envelope that will fit your paper folded up, and a writing utensil (Fun colors are always appreciated!)

3. Write your full name straight across, horizontally in the left-hand corner of the envelope, followed by your personal street address directly underneath, and then your city, state, and zip code underneath that. This is your return address.  

   1. Write your address on the envelope as well, so your recipient can write a letter back to you!  

4. Write the recipient’s full name straight across, horizontally in the center of the envelope, followed by their street address underneath, and then the city, state, and zip code underneath that.

   1. This middle address lets the post office know where the sender wants the letter to go 

5. Place a government-issued stamp in the top right-hand corner

   1. This allows your letter to pass through the post office and makes it clear that payment has been made to utilize the services of the U.S Postal Service

   2. If your letter is traveling outside of the U.S., you’ll want to make sure that you are using international postage. 

6. Write your letter! Include anything that you’d like! 

   1. You can include any flat and jazzy items, but make sure that your materials don’t exceed the one-ounce postage weight limit, or you may need to add more stamps.