My goal for this task was to send items that have some real significance to me, even if it's just one memory. Somehow this led to sending all items related to my childhood. I'm aware that this is a bit more of a Humanitarian Crisis outlook than a SNIDE one, but it just seemed like that was the way for me to do this right.

Five items:

A Brio train piece, for a lovely friend of mine here on SFØ (although I met her through the Real World). A bit of an apology for something inconsiderate I did, but also, damn, Brio trains are awesome! I still pull out my train set every few months or so, set up all of the bridges and so on, and just push my trains around. I have always loved this car because it's one of only two passenger cars, and the other one is yellow and a bit ugly.


A Key to Children's Fairyland at Lakeside Park in Oakland. Fairyland is very close to my heart. I spent many hours there as a young child sliding down the Dragon Slide, watching the puppet shows (Fairyland is where I was introduced to both Punch and Judy and a simplified puppet version of Commedia dell'Arte!), and, most importantly, using my key to work the Story Boxes that tell the fairytale behind each exhibit. The Alice in Wonderland tunnel was always my favorite. I think the recipient would really enjoy Fairyland, even now, which is why she's getting this key. I have two other ones anyway.


This is a paper crane. That wouldn't be a big deal, but I am pretty sure this is the best paper crane I've ever made, and I have made many paper cranes! I didn't fold this specifically for the Naked Mail task; I've had it for a while. I'm just really proud of this crane and want it to have a special home. I know the recipient can appreciate beautiful things well, and this paper crane is a work of art. Paper cranes are special to me because an old friend taught me to make them upon reuniting once after she moved away, so even though they're not directly linked to childhood for me, I still associate them with that childhood friend.


This is not a fossil. It is a plaster-dipped shell meant to look like a fossil. I still think it's really cool, though. I made this many years ago at a science museum for children in Sausalito at a friend's birthday party. I'm not particularly attached to this item, but it and the Brio piece were probably the hardest to drop into the mailbox because I've had them for just so long! I believe the recipient will be amused (or at least interested) when he receives it.


A bubble wand. But not just any bubble wand! This is a bubble wand with three sizes! I didn't measure, but the diameters of the circles are about 1.5 inches, .75 inches, and a centimeter. For many differently sized bubbles! I don't think the recipient will ever use this bubble wand on his own (although I may find a way to force him to use it), but he will certainly laugh upon acquiring it.

The Mailing:

Actually, I had to work really hard to untangle the items before letting them fall and shooting that second-to-last picture. In the block between my house and the mailbox, they got kinda tangled up... all that string, y'know. So there's a time lapse of about four minutes between "Mailbox2" and "Mailbox3." It wouldn't have taken so long inside, but it was really foggy and cold that night and my hands were shaking.

My Questions Along The Way:
I was so worried about putting enough postage on. The heavier items, the train and the fossil, got $1.32 each. The key and the bubble wand got 88¢ each, and the crane got 44¢ (I figured it was only paper and should therefore only cost as much as a letter).
I was also really scared about dropping the plaster fossil into the mailbox because I thought it might crack if it landed badly... thankfully, it sounded like it was cushioned by some letters.

What Happens Now?:
I don't know if my naked mail will ever reach its intended recipients... Three of them are SFØers, so guys (Ari or Bryce or Taylor!), please, tell me if you get your item! Hopefully the postal service will come though.

A Few Little Notes:
1. No messages on the little address cards. It felt contradictory to the spirit of 'naked' mail. Only signed "Love from Turtle: Not Awkward" or "SFØ".
2. I quickly blurred out the last names/addresses of the recipients not because I don't trust you SFØers (I do! I don't really know why, but I do!) but because I figure most people don't want their contact info put on the web without their permission.
3. This is my first task in a long time and it feels really good! Hello, SFØ. I'm home again.