Open when letters for moving abroad
By Luan Alves · Updated
When someone moves abroad, the hard moments come in their time zone, not yours: the first night in an empty apartment, a confusing week at a new job and a homesick Sunday while you’re asleep. Write open when letters for those moments, date the ones for special days so they open on the right morning there, and add your voice for the nights a call isn’t possible.
The letters to write before they go
These fit someone starting over in a new country, whether it’s a partner, a sibling, a friend or your kid.
For your first night there
An empty apartment, jet lag, no friends yet. This one should feel like a hug.
For when you’re homesick
Bring home to them: a smell, a street, a song, the dog.
For when you can’t call me because I’m asleep
The time difference means some nights there’s no one to call. Leave them something to hear.
For when nothing makes sense
New language, new forms, new grocery store. Remind them it gets easier, and that they chose this for a reason.
For when you make your first friend
A happy one. Tell them you knew they would.
For your birthday
Date it, and it opens at midnight their time, not yours.
For the holidays away from home
Pick the one that’ll hurt most, and date it for that morning.
For when you come home to visit
The last letter. What you’ll cook, where you’ll go, who’s coming to the airport.
How to handle the time difference
Time zones are what make moving abroad different from other long distance. A few things help.
Date special days in their time zone.
In ForWhen, you pick the city they’ll live in when you set up the gift, and a dated letter opens at midnight there. It won’t open a day early because you’re behind them.
Write for the hours you’re asleep.
Their late evening is often your middle of the night. That’s when a voice note does the most.
Don’t mention local times.
“Call me at 9” is confusing across zones. Say “call me after your dinner” or “before my work”.
Skip the countdown if there’s no return date.
A move abroad may not have an end. Write about the next visit, not about them coming back for good.
Questions
- Do they need an app or a local phone number?
- No. A ForWhen gift is one link that opens in their phone’s browser, on any network. No app, no account and no phone number.
- Can I write them in another language?
- Yes. Letters and voice notes are whatever you write and say, in any language. The page around them is in English for now.
- What if they move cities again?
- Moment letters open any time, anywhere. Dated letters follow the time zone of the city you picked, so a move to a far zone could shift them by a few hours.
Keep reading
Write them in your own voice
With ForWhen, you write 3–8 letters, add a photo and a voice note to each, and send them as one private link they open on their phone. Letters for a date stay sealed until the day comes. $9.99 once, no app.
Start writing