I had a penpal I got through the Girl Scouts when I was ten. Her name was Allison too although she spelled it Alyson and she was from New Zealand! We remained penpals right through to age 25 and then we lost track. I wonder where and how she is now! I also wrote to several other camp friends on a regular basis. I remember the excitement of getting a letter from one of my friends in the mail! Email just doesn’t come close to this. The tactile feel of the stationary and the envelope and the stamps plus the personality of each individual’s handwriting–very special experience! Can’t be duplicated!
ElderChicks 
That is true it was exciting to get a letter, but now it is much quicker. I don’t think my grands would abide by the wait of the USPS.