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What you’ll receive:
A Glimpse Inside Past Mailings
The Night the Stones Kept Time
This month!
A magical autumn journey through folklore, ancient monoliths, and historic England.
Included: Holographic stickers + short story, handwritten letter, cozy recipe card for fall, watercolor fall postcard, photo print of Stonehenge, curated list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in England, and other goodies.
Wander. Write (or read). Repeat!
250 Years of History
A tribute to the rich heritage and artistry of the post office.
Included: Visual historical story, handwritten letter, commemorative stamp sheet-inspired postcard, cotton airmail stripe ribbon, and other themed ephemera.
Summers Past
A reflection on childhood memories and seasonal change.
Included: Summer word search, handwritten letter, matching summer stickers, prompts to help you think of your favorite things about summer, and a custom journal calendar.
The Café Adventure
This debut envelope brings the relaxing atmosphere of a quiet café straight to your favorite journaling spot.
Included: Watercolor Café Adventure punch card, a list of my favorite coffees and teas, a handwritten letter introducing my new journey + highlighting some of my coffee/tea stories, teacup journaling tag, and a stationery paper to inspire your own thoughts about your cafe adventures.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is The Traveling Desk?
The Traveling Desk is a monthly snail mail experience that follows the journey of a wandering writing desk.
Each envelope transports you to a new destination through real letters, semi-imaginary stories, and whimsical paper discoveries designed to inspire your own reflections and creativity.
If you're looking for real mail that feels like a connection to the writer, but fancy a little whimsy along the way, then join us on the journey!
What comes in each envelope?
You can expect each envelope to contain the following:
What’s the cutoff date for signing up?
The cutoff date for subscribing for the next month's envelope is the 25th.
For instance, if you've signed up on the 6th of January, you will receive February's envelope (not January's). However, if you have missed the cutoff mark by up to about a week, just send us an email stating that you've missed the cutoff date and would still like to receive that month's envelope. We will try our best to honor your request.
Note: If we receive your request after that month is out of stock, we will most likely not be able to send you that month's edition. Once they're gone, they're gone!
Additionally, if you sign up on the 2nd of the month, you will be charged that day. But, you will not be charged again on the 25th.
Furthermore, you won't be charged again until the 25th of the next month.
We send all mail using the United States Postal System (USPS). Envelopes (unless otherwise noted) are mailed out by the 1st of every month.
Delivery could take up to 2 weeks for U.S. recipients, and up to 6 weeks for international recipients.
Mailing times could also vary based on holidays and local weather conditions.
Based on this, our mailout schedules are conditional, and we may need to adjust our dispatching in order to accommodate our internal business operations. Thank you for your patience during any unforeseen adjustment periods.
Delivery times vary, depending on your location and country. For orders within the United States, subscription mail typically arrives in about a week after shipping. According to the USPS's website, this could even be in as few as several days, but it's never guaranteed.
For international orders, this could take 3-6 weeks, or so.
Please note: All mail comes without tracking information.
How often will I receive my letter subscription?
All of our letters/envelopes are sent once a month - each and every month.
No, we do not offer tracking information, as this slows down the mailing process at the post office sites.
Generally, subscribers cannot choose a different date, as subscriptions are designed to be mailed out on a specific date each month. (We mail out all envelopes on or just before the 1st of each month.)
Otherwise, deferred envelope requests could be honored, and are typically only for the first month's envelope. Each one after that will be mailed on the same date (the 1st of each month).
For instructions on how to change your subscription date, see the next question below.
How do I change my subscription date?
If you would like to request a deferred date for your first month's envelope, please follow these steps:
We try our absolute best to fulfill deferred subscription requests. Deferred mailings are not guaranteed.
Please note: If your request is sent during a weekend or a holiday, please give us a bit of time to respond to your request with a confirmation of getting your envelope mailed to you at your later/preferred date.
Mail can be delayed due to holidays, extreme weather conditions and other unusual circumstances such as traffic, staffing, changes in carrier routes, etc.
Though it's uncommon, delays could also be related to Customs in your country.
Sometimes unusual circumstances arise with the mail carrier system. Please contact us so we can have a look at your individual situation and so that we can do our best to make it right.
Email us: hello@thetravelingdesk.com
How often will I be charged for the subscription?
If you have subscribed to The Traveling Desk monthly mail
club, you’ll be charged monthly (on the 25th).
Yes, you can use a preferred name on your envelope. Simply enter your preferred name in the First Name field when you place your order.
If your subscription is a gift, just let your gifter know which name you prefer.
Can I purchase a previous month’s envelope?
Envelopes for previous months may be purchased, however this is based upon that month's availability.
However, there is no guarantee that letters from past months can be purchased.
To change your mailing address, simply log in to your account and update your address details there.
Can I give a monthly subscription as a gift?
Yes, you can absolutely gift someone a subscription to The Traveling Desk. Please see the instructions on how to give a monthly subscription as a gift below.
As this is a subscription mail club, your gift won't be a one-time gift, but one that your loved one receives every month - unless you cancel.
For additional information regarding cancellations, please see the Cancellations Policy.
How do I give a monthly subscription to someone else as a gift?
To give a monthly subscription as a gift, make sure to add "Gift Subscription" to your cart when placing your order.
There, you'll be instructed to enter the recipient's name and address.
Can I skip a month?
Technically, yes. You have the flexibility to pause your subscription membership through your account. Each envelope is uniquely curated for that month and produced in quantities based on pre-paid orders. So, there's no way to pause and pick back up.
If you need to take a break, you're welcome to pause before your renewal date (the 25th of the month) and resume when you're ready.
Alternatively, you can gift your current subscription to someone else by updating the name and address details. You can do so by logging into your account and editing the information there.
Can I pause my subscription
You can control your subscription by logging into your account and pausing your subscription from there.
If you encounter any issues in cancelling, please email us to request the cancellation at hello@thetravelingdesk.com.
Your card won’t be charged while your account is in the paused status.
With that being said, each envelope is uniquely curated for that month and produced in quantities based on pre-paid orders. So, if you need to take a break, please do so as soon as you feel the need to.
Alternatively, you can gift your current subscription to someone else by updating the name and address details. You can do so by logging into your account and editing the information there.
Which countries can receive mail from the USA?
According to the USPS's Index of Countries and Localities website, there are more than 180 countries that we can ship to!
If you are unsure whether you can receive mail from the US, simply refer to the link provided above.
I received a subscription as a gift. How do I cancel?
If you received your subscription as a gift from someone else, but need to cancel for now, or want to sign up under your own account, please contact your gifter and tell them you'd like for them to cancel your subscription.
Let them know that they need to do do so through their account or by emailing us. Here are the instructions for either option:
Otherwise, you can also refer them to the FAQs here. Or, refer them to the Cancellations Policy page.
If you want to sign up under your own account, you may want to wait until you've received confirmation from your gifter that the subscription has been cancelled. Then, you can proceed with your own subscription.
Otherwise, you my receive two of the same month's envelope.
As always, feel free to email us with any questions you or your gifter may have with your cancellation request.
How do I cancel my subscription?
If you need to cancel for now, simply follow the instructions provided here:
We try to respond to emails within a few business days (Monday through Friday), so if it is a weekend or a holiday, please be patient with us while we work to respond with your cancellation confirmation.
Cancellations must be done before the 25th.
For additional information about cancellations, please see our Cancellation policy.
Creating what we love,
each envelope is assembled by hand,
mailed directly to you.