Love Letters began as nothing more than an outlet for me to express the way that I was feeling at the time and to provide others the chance to do that as well. It was all about finding beauty in the slowness while growing deeper into love of all forms. It was never expected to go beyond the very first location in Belleair, but as it has expanded, the impact has been something so beautiful to watch. So much intention has gone into every step of “Love Letters” and the locations themselves are no exception. Every location that currently houses a “Love Letters Mailbox” is special to me for one reason or another and that has only become even more so the case over time. The types of letters vary so greatly from mailbox to mailbox and it’s so fascinating to get to see the type of people visiting and the differences and commonalities amongst us all. I hope that if at least one of these little spots isn’t already important to you for one reason or another, that you’ll find one to be soon.
The Cliffs: My dad grew up right outside of the neighborhood that houses the first mailbox. He and hisfriends would visit what they had endearingly nicknamed “The Cliffs” to watch sunset, climb the big oak trees lining the drop of the hill, and launch kayaks from the shore. As a kid, I remember my dad taking me there often to show me his old spot. Everything about it felt magical- the way the branches tangled within each other to create such seclusion, the quiet that filled the air, and the overwhelming peace that I felt sitting on the rocky shoreline. As I got older and eventually got a license and car, my friends and I closely in my father’s footsteps. The Cliffs became a spot for hosting surprise birthday parties with photos hanging from the trees or for quiet time- reading the Bible or doing Yoga overlooking the ocean. At some point, it became a spot of rest. 17-year-old me found such a comfort in this little park as I was going through one of the most difficult times of my life. For so long, this spot had been filled with such an abundance of joy that during the times when that joy felt so out of reach, this spot seemed like the only place that could provide it. After months of visiting nearly every single day, I had the idea to set up a mailbox hidden within the same branches my barefoot feet once called their home. I had spent so much time here writing and reading over the few months prior that it only made sense. On my next visit, I brought along a little black mailbox, some white cord to attach it to the tree, and pens and pencils to fill it with. I set up what would be the very first “Love Letters Mailbox”. I didn’t tell anyone at first- it brought me a little bit of joy everyday looking forward to reading what had been written by visitors the day before, and I liked that it felt like a little secret. Within the first month of the mailbox being up, people had already started opening up in the most beautiful ways. Stories of love and of loss, of death and of life, of mourning and of dancing. It was both hopeful and heartbreaking to read through the little blue notebook hidden in the trees. I felt connected to the people who wrote. I may never meet them or know who they are, but we have the shared experience of knowing each other’s stories and sharing each other’s joy. During this time of such sadness in my life, it was one of the only things that truly brought me peace. It was something to rely on. It reminds me of the book “The Giving Tree” in the way that through every period of my life, this spot was able to provide me exactly what I needed. Eventually, I got tired of keeping my little secret and wanted to share it with the world. I told my family and friends and suddenly, it clicked… “there needs to be more.” It was from that point on that Love Letters began becoming what it is today.
Edgewater: Because the first location was so meaningful to me, it only made sense to continue with spots that were equally special. I decided to set up the second mailbox hidden away in a secret cove of Edgewater Park. The roots of fallen trees created somewhat of a wall that was perfect to hold a mailbox. I love this spot for many reasons, but the main reason being that it provided the same feeling I used to get going to the Cliffs as a kid. It felt like a secret that I wanted to keep…. As if I was in a little club with everyone who knew about it- even those that I might never meet. I came here often for months on end scoping it out. On one visit, I noticed a hammock hung in the trees about 30 feet high. It was the perfect sunset spot and I made a habit of visiting to let my feet hang above the ocean as the sky set in orange and pink shades. I felt at home. This spot earned its mailbox and continues to do so every time I visit. Doodles from teenagers, Love Letters from children to the fallen oaks that inhabit this spot, stories of spreading ashes and sharing memories fill the of the little blue notebook that calls this park home. Because of this spot, I’ve made friends with strangers, found rest in a busy life, and gotten to share those experiences with so many others who pass through this little sandy shore.
Pinellas Trail, Dunedin: On an abandoned building across from Lanes Lemonade on the Pinellas trail, mailbox #3 came to be. I grew up in Dunedin about a 5-minute walk from this spot. As a kid, my parents loved to take us on walks. We probably covered every square inch of downtown Dunedin at least a thousand times. I remember one night at 3am when I was 5 years old, going downstairs to wake my dad up to tell him I couldn’t sleep. His first response was to ask if I wanted to go roam around town. He
changed out of his pajamas and we walked downtown until I was too tired to continue and needed to be carried back home. Every single one of my earliest childhood memories was created in downtown Dunedin. This specific spot on the trail was a place I’ve walked past many times as a kid. Back when Dunedin was just a small town, there was a post just 30 or so feet away from where this mailbox is now with wooden signs pointing to the direction of different businesses and restaurants. At one point, my parents had hung their own little sign on the post pointing to the left proudly displaying “Shana and Cash’s house”. It was bright yellow and white to match the paint of our street corner home. As a kid, I never missed the chance to point it out to friends as we walked past it. I was proud to be part of this sweet town, and I still am proud to be part of it now- just in different ways. When I first set this mailbox up, I had no idea what type of letters it might be filled with, if any. It felt so hidden, almost like people might assume it was just a regular mailbox waiting for FedEx to stop by and deliver the bills or whatever package was sent that day. Because of this, I had little hope that people would take a second to stop and write, but I was proven so wrong. This box slowly but surely began filling up with letters to different loved ones. Although hidden and certainly not the most frequented box, I think it’s that aspect that encourages people to go a little deeper. This mailbox tends to get the longest letters and often the most vulnerable as well. Some of my all-time favorite stories have come from this little mailbox sitting loosely screwed into the paint chipped railing overlooking the town.
Crystal Beach: My parents had their first kiss at the end of the Crystal Beach Pier back in 1995. So much love lives at this little spot that it just made sense to put a mailbox here to share it- and that’s exactly what everyone has used it for. Stories upon stories so similar to that of my parents’ fill the lined pages of the multiple notebooks that inhabit this box. Letters to first dates, stories of longing and of loving, hopeful, giddy teenagers writing to their equally smitten partners. This box gets a lot of young love and even more long-term love- hopeful young couples excited to start families, people who have been married 50 years visiting to write about their time living in this little neighborhood so many years ago, and everything in between. People have begun making this location their own. Sticky notes line the inside with words of encouragement and hope. It’s truly beautiful what love is shared when a space to do so is provided. People are holding so much in- think of how much softer our world would be if more outlets to express it existed in everyday life.
SHAMc: The first Safety Harbor location! At some point, my family moved from our first home in Dunedin to where we now call home- Safety Harbor. I truly think that the SHAMc is one of the most special little spots in this town. The location itself is incredible and the people who run it are so kind and I’m fortunate enough to call them friends. They’ve done so much to promote the creative scene throughout our little town and one example of that is the way that they’ve provided a space for my little mailbox to exist on their property. I remember going to their sister location, Whimzeyland as a kid to see their Christmas light display- the recycled material art we purchased still sits on display in our home to this day. When I moved to Safety Harbor, the SHAMc location was still in the works and I’ve gotten to watch firsthand as it became all that it is today. There’s not as much of a story here except that it just makes sense. Love Letters is all about self-expression and that’s exactly what SHAMc is. I’m honored to be part of it in any way.
Safety Harbor Library: Even before I moved to Safety Harbor, I remember practically growing up at this library. I spent countless hours playing under what we called the “Elf Tree” in the grassy lawn behind the main building and even more within the four walls of the library itself racking up volunteer hours in high school or writing for this very blog. The children’s librarian has truly watched me grow up and it’s such a sweet place of nostalgia for me. When I came up with the idea to set up a box here, she was the very first person I reached out to. I wrote a letter sealed with a sparkly heart shaped sticker and made my way to her desk to drop it off. She was so kind to find a way to make it happen and the mailbox has lived there ever since. I love this box because I’ve found people use it to encourage others more than any of the other boxes. One of the very first letters was a woman going through extreme heartbreak. The pages following hers began filling with words of encouragement addressing her by her signed initials. People were offering prayers and help in any way they knew how to. It’s heartbreaking to know her pain, but so beautiful to know she’s loved by so many strangers. Connectedness is grown through the ability to be vulnerable.
St. Augustine: After having established a few local locations, a mutual friend of mine named Bre messaged me on Instagram explaining that she had heard about the project and was curious if I would have any interest in growing it to St. Augustine. St Aug is one of my favorite cities in Florida. It neighbors my family’s yearly beach trip destination of Vilano Beach and is home to so many memories of mine growing up. Since middle school, my family has been going to Vilano every August. It’s where I've met some of my very best friends for the first time, it’s where I fell in love with the East Coast, it’s a place that I’ve written countless love letters to, and a place where I feel so at home. Every year, when we visit, we always spend a good chunk of time roaming the antique streets of St. Augustine, and every year I fall deeper in love with it. It was the easiest “Yes” when Bre asked. She ended up setting up 3 different locations within the downtown area. One in Freedom Park, one at Relampago Coffee, and one behind the Crisp-Ellert Art museum on the Flagler property. Incredibly enough, the groundskeeper of the Flagler property took notice of the mailbox and asked if it would be possible to include it in their yearly city-wide “Poetry Fest” at the beginning of 2023. I was able to travel to St. Aug with all my friends to be part of the event and it was such a special time of celebration that made this city even more special to me.
Ohana Café: I was manager at Ohana for almost 2 and a half years and it was the greatest job I’ve ever had. I fell in love with working at that little yellow shop. I became best friends with 40-year-old line cooks and spent every day filling the downtime with cooking competitions or surprise birthday parties in the kitchen or upselling contests with the other servers where the winner got to “pie” the loser. There wasn’t a person who walked through those backdoors who didn’t become my close friend by the time our work relationship came to an end. I actually began working at Ohana very shortly before starting “Love Letters”. I remember asking my boss one day during a rush to run to my car and grab something for me. I had forgotten that I’d just picked up 15 mailboxes from a Craigslist ad that were still sitting in the trunk of my car. She came back in asking “What’s up with all the mailboxes in your car??” It was so early on in my time working there that I remember being so embarrassed to have to explain it to her but of course, she loved it. After I left, I knew I wanted to remain a part of Ohana in whatever way I could. When I reached out to my old boss to ask about setting up a mailbox on the property, she was so excited. I stopped by the next day to begin setting up and ended up spending hours there just catching up with old friends and sharing a meal with the same coworkers I used to have lunch with every single day. It was so bittersweet to share those moments again in a different way than before. I’m so thankful for Ohana and the comfort found within their creaky front doors and the way their pancakes and macadamia nut sauce bring me back to the feeling I felt when I first started there. I love getting to be part of it still in new ways.
These spots are so sweet to me. I love that Love Letters Mailbox gets to spread the love that I carry for these places to so many others and that it’s able to provide a space for expression of that love. This project was founded on the desire for intentionality in the little things and a deeper sense of community. Knowing that it’s been able to accomplish that for even just one person is the most exciting thing. If you haven't found a chance to do so yet, write soon <3