Slow down. Be present. Something beautiful is waiting in your mailbox.

Maybe you are tired of the noise. You are craving something slower, more real, more hopeful. Delivered to your door once a month from a lake in Northern Wisconsin. Consider this your permission to slow down and enjoy a small moment of quiet.

Yes please

Coming soon to your mailbox...

What lands in your mailbox every month:

  • A personal letter

    Written by Vanessa from her life on a lake in northern Wisconsin. More personal than anything shared on social media. It feels like a conversation over coffee on the dock.

  • A fine art photo postcard

    An original photograph taken by Vanessa somewhere in the Northwoods. Frame it. Keep it. Write a note on the back and mail it to someone who could use the encouragement.

  • A small surprise

    A sticker with a quote, or something small and thoughtful tucked inside. The best letters carry a little extra (without of course, going over the 1oz weight limit!).

  • Your window to the Northwoods

    A QR code inside every letter links to an original ambient nature video filmed right here. Put it on your tv. Let it play while you have your coffee. No narration, just nature. I saved you a seat.

Subscribe now $15/month

This is for you if...

You opened your mailbox today and found bills, ads, more junk. Again.

You are exhausted by screens and quietly craving something slower and more real.

You've thought about slowing down approximately 1,000 times and have not figured out how yet.

You want something real in your hands, something intentional.

You believe the world still has beauty in it.

You just need someone to point you toward it sometimes.

You are in the beautiful and sometimes hard process of building a life you actually love.

Yes, send me a letter. $15/month

The person writing you the letter

I am Vanessa Embling. Photographer, endless wanderer, and the person sitting down every month to write to you from a lake in northern Wisconsin. I started Letters from the Northwoods because I believe the world needs more joy, more hope, and more goodness in it. This is my small way of adding some.

Read more

What opening it feels like...

You clear a little space on the kitchen table or you get cozy in your favorite chair. You make yourself something warm to drink. You sit down with it, pulling out the letter first. You read it slowly, not because you have to, but because it earns that. You set it down and pick up the postcard, holding it in your hands and perhaps daydreaming about being there. Nothing else needs your attention. No notifications. No inbox. Nothing is asking anything of you. That's the whole point.

Get your first letter $15/month

Frequently Asked Questions:

Click for answers to some frequently asked questions!

FAQ's