You're curious about the world. Really curious.
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You follow certain places with interest. You save articles about cultures and landscapes that fascinate you. You notice details in travel photography that most people scroll past.
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But here's the thing: Most travel content is superficial. Highlights and bucket lists. "10 Must-See Spots in..." It's designed for likes, not for people who are genuinely curious about how life unfolds in different places.
You're not looking for escapism or inspiration porn. You're looking for real observations from someone paying attention. A window into the questions a place raises, not just its scenic overlooks. Something tangible that traveled, not another thing you scroll past and forget.
I travel slowly.
You receive what I notice.
I'm Joel, and I spend several months each year traveling—not rushing through itineraries, but staying long enough in places to notice what's actually happening beyond the tourist sites.
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Through Liminal Journeys, I lead small-group cultural immersion experiences. Liminal Letters started as a way to share what I'm noticing with people who are curious about the world—the kind of observations that don't fit in an Instagram caption.
What you're getting:
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Actual correspondence from the places I visit—not stock photos or generic travel content
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Limited to 150 subscribers so this stays personal
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Handwritten postcards with real stamps from wherever I am (where postal service permits)
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A practice of curiosity about places and perspectives worth your attention
How Liminal Letters Works
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Subscribe for the Year
Join 150 people creating pauses in their lives. $36 gets you four postcards across the year.
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Receive Quarterly Postcards
Each postcard includes: beautiful images from where I'm traveling, a brief reflection on what I'm noticing (2-3 sentences), and a question the place is raising for me. You'll get a preview email about two weeks before each send telling you where the next card is coming from.
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Enjoy A Small Window Into Somewhere Else
These aren't assignments or life lessons. They're simply what I'm paying attention to while I'm somewhere you might be curious about. Maybe the question resonates. Maybe the image goes on your fridge. Maybe it just adds another layer to how you think about that place.
What to expect:
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Handwritten address and message on every card
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Picture postcards from places like Japan, Ethiopia, Portugal, Indonesia (varies by where I'm traveling that year)
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Questions I'm sitting with, not answers I'm prescribing
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Real postmarks when possible
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Quarterly delivery
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The practical stuff:
✓ Annual subscription, cancel anytime through your account
✓ Update your address if you move
✓ Ships by standard postal service (international delivery takes 2-4 weeks)
✓ Gift subscriptions available—just provide their address at checkout
What others are saying:
"I didn't realize how much I missed receiving actual mail until Joel's first postcard arrived. The question he asked keeps surfacing at unexpected moments. It's like having a thoughtful friend check in from across the world."
Claude
What you're choosing between
You could keep following travel accounts (mine included!)—beautiful images that disappear in your feed within seconds. You could bookmark articles about places that interest you. You could stay curious from a distance without any tangible connection to the places you're paying attention to.
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Or you could receive four actual postcards across the year. Not profound wisdom from exotic locations. Just real correspondence from someone who's paying attention to the world and sharing what they notice with people who care about that kind of thing.
It's a small thing. But small things can matter.
Imagine a year where you actually pause
March: A postcard arrives from Kyoto. There's a photo of a garden that's been tended for 400 years. The note mentions how the same stones have been cared for by different hands across centuries. The question: What in your life has been passed to you to tend?
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You pin it to your bulletin board. Over the next week, you think about it while doing dishes, walking the dog. It's not earth-shattering, but it's something worth sitting with.
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June: Another card, this time from Iceland. Different landscape, different question.
By December, you have four postcards. Four small windows into places you're curious about. Four questions you wouldn't have thought to ask yourself. Four reminders that paying attention matters.
That's what this is. Not transformation. Just sustained curiosity. A practice of noticing beyond your immediate surroundings. A small subscription to somewhere else.
Join 150 curious people
Liminal Letters won't change your life. It's four postcards a year, not a pilgrimage.
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But if you're genuinely curious about how people live in other places, if you appreciate real observations over curated content, if you'd rather receive something tangible in the mail than scroll past another beautiful image—this might be for you.
(Subscribers receive priority booking and a discount on Liminal Journeys cultural immersion experiences. Learn more about my travel offerings here.)
FAQ
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When do postcards arrive?
Typically one each season: spring, summer, autumn, winter. Notification email sent 2 weeks before each.
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Where do you travel?
It varies by year, but past years have been as diverse as Thailand, Cape Verde, Uzbekistan and Germany. I spend 2-3 months annually traveling, so postcards come from wherever I am during those months.
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Are they really handwritten?
Yes. Every address and message is handwritten by me. The photos are professionally printed, but the personal note is always handwritten.
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Can I give this as a gift?
Absolutely. During checkout, just provide the recipient's address.
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What if I move?
You can update your mailing address anytime through your subscriber account or by emailing me directly.
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What about refunds and cancellations?
No refunds, but you'll receive all four postcards even if you cancel mid-year. I can't be responsible for postal service issues, but if a card goes missing, reach out—I'll try to help.
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Do you offer discounts for your travel experiences?
Yes. Liminal Letters subscribers receive priority booking and a discount on Liminal Journeys cultural immersion trips.