Story and photo By Carin Hall
“I want to remember to journal. I want to remember to be still in between the chaos of living.” -Sidney Nykanen
On the far north end of Wrightsville Beach, a simple mailbox invites the passersby to “leave a note.” Over two decades later, it’s evolved into an iconic vessel for thousands of notes, shells, and thingamabobs.
Its story began in 2003 with Bernie and Sidney Nykanen, longtime beach lovers who were inspired by a similar mailbox they had seen on Bird Island near Shallotte. When a major storm reshaped the shoreline at Wrightsville Beach, the couple saw an opportunity to create something meaningful in the newly formed landscape…