You may think of email as a real thing, but it is actually just a jumble of symbols that are sent over the wires to get where they need to go. Your actual words do not really go, but rather a set of commands and information that reform your email when it gets where it is supposed to go. This information is sent off in a packet, but has many stops along the way.

The packet of information that contains your email leaves your computer through your Internet connection. That you probably know. It then goes out to a local server in your area that is owned by your ISP (Internet Service Provider). There the information is processed and sent in the next direction. Unless the email is going to someone on your local server, it is sent out to yet another server. If someone is on yours, it will go from your ISP to their computer.

The email information packet will move from one server to another until it gets to the service provider of the person to which you sent the message. It may take a few stops, or it many take many. It depends on how far your email must travel. It always seems instantaneous, but it can be very complicated. Once it reaches the destination ISP it is then sent to through the receivers Internet connection and comes into their inbox.

If you want to know more about emails and where they go on their way to their destination, there are some great resources that you can find online. You can also find information on all types of emails, and what to do if you are not too fond of a few that are landing in your inbox.