Summer Buddies

A pen pal, but make it summer. We match you with someone new to write to. No swiping, just real messages between real people.

@em_jazzz Feeling like you want a casual pen pal this summer? I’ll match you with an email buddy ✨💗🫧 full out the form that’s linked in my linktree #socialexperiment #penpal #friendtok #youvegotmail #summerromance ♬ original sound - em-j

We heard you — nearly 14,000 of you actually signed up because you wanted a summer pen pal. So here's Summer Buddies: a simple way to get matched with someone to write to all summer long.

No apps to download. No profiles to maintain. Just you, a buddy, and whatever you want to say.

Here's the deal:

  1. You tell us about you. Fill out the form below — what you're into, what you're looking for in a buddy, how you like to communicate.

  2. We match you up. We pair you with someone based on what you shared.

  3. You get an intro email. That's your cue to say hi and start the conversation.

  4. You take it from there. Just two people getting to know each other.

  5. By signing up for summer buddies, you agree to these terms.

This summer, make a new friend — one letter at a time.

sign up for a summer buddy

  • It's a pen pal matching program. You sign up, tell us a bit about yourself, and we match you with someone to write to over the summer. Think of it as a low-key way to make a new friend — through email, but you can also text, snail mail, or whatever you and your pen pal prefer.

  • That’s entirely up to you and your buddy. You can be in touch as little or as much as you both want.

  • Right now, everyone gets just one buddy. We want to keep it simple and give each match real attention.

  • We take everyone's answers from the signup form and use AI to match people up based on shared interests and what you said you're looking for in a buddy. To keep things private, we strip out your name and email before matching — every submission just becomes a number. Once the matches are made, we look up who's behind each number and send you both an intro email to kick things off.

  • That's totally up to you — we leave it in your hands. Same as any relationship, clear is kind. If it's not clicking, just tell your buddy. A simple "hey, I'm going to step back from this" goes a long way.

  • If something your buddy shares ever worries you (like their safety or wellbeing) please take it seriously. We're not equipped to monitor conversations or provide crisis support, so the best thing you can do is encourage them to reach out to a trained professional. In the US, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org) is free, confidential, and available 24/7 — and it's there for you too if you're the one who needs support, including support for being worried about someone else.

  • yes, by signing up for summer buddies, you agree to these terms.

  • Just your email address. It’s up to you what else you’d like to share.