Here are the postcards!
I’ve been collecting postcards since 2008. Since then, I’ve sent and received over 1800 postcards from all over the US and dozens of countries. I respond to every postcard I receive, so I’m always open for private swaps.
My origin story: Back when I was a young boy, I got the idea to write a letter to several world leaders, but I only ever ended up writing the US president and the Queen of England. I was so tickled to receive responses from President Bush and then Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II! Well, they weren’t directly from the world leaders, but rather from their staff members. President Bush sent me an autographed photograph (which I lost later in a show-and-tell accident).
One of the Queen’s ladies-in-waiting sent me a very detailed letter, typed on Buckingham Palace stationery, answering all of my questions about the Queen’s horses and her corgis and her favorite foods. I marveled at the strangely-sized paper, the texture of the embossed coat of arms centered at the top of the page, and the stamps on the envelope. A real person had spent time reading my letter, responding to it, folding it and placing it in an envelope, and then more real human beings had taken the time and effort to transport it from London to some mail distribution center, to an airport in England, to an airport in the US, and back through the various USPS chains until it arrived in a plastic mailbox at the foot of my driveway in southeast Michigan.
I’m still fascinated by this process today, and all for less than the price of some chocolate! So I maintain correspondence with about a dozen penpals across the world, and send and receive postcards. At last count, I have a little under 2,000 postcards that I’ve received. Keep scrolling to see the most recent postcards that have arrived in my mailbox.
Marseille (France)
Marseille est une ville très connue, écrit Dominique, et pas pour toutes des raisons si belles. En fait, il régarde Pax Massilia, qui s’agit des crimes à Marseilles. Néanmoins, elle reste une ville très celebre qui mérite bien la visite.
Brown County State Park (Indiana)
Nozomi writes that she visited the park for a friend’s birthday party. The park is very popular during the Fall, but she recommends a winter visit, too!
Bills of Mortality (Scotland)
Lauren was in England at a conference at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, which she writes has an incredible museum with so many neat exhibits. We actually did visit last August when we were in Scotland, and I second the recommendation. It’s totally worth a visit!
“Earth” by Joby Harris (Indiana)
Nozomi sends this very thought-provoking illustration by Joby Harris. The caption on the back says “The Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Earth science missions monitor our home planet and how it’s changing so it can continue to provide a safe haven as we reach deeper into the cosmos.” How quickly can this research go?
“Poodle” (Iowa)
This drawing, “Poodle, 2020” by Dylan Goldberger, comes from a PostCrosser in Iowa, who after sending this took her own dog for a walk! Terrific!
la Chinesca (Pennsylvania)
Our friends T and Edmundo met up in Philadelphia recently to watch “She is Conann,” a film I personally have no interest in viewing. They wrote the postcard before seeing it, so I’m not sure what the verdict is!
London underground (Belgium)
The sender of this postcard wrote about her prejudices that she had about poodles earlier, that they were really just lapdogs or ornamental animals. She realizes that it was just a product of the way their owners treated them. I had to admit that I once put our dog into a show cut but it didn’t last too long.
summer komorebi (Japan)
What a beautiful photo! I don’t know if this counts as komorebi, but it’s really beautiful.
Soni Plateau (Japan)
The sender of this postcard writes that as a child, she liked to listen to the Carpenters!
Summer Tea (Germany)
Martina sends this postcard from Juist at the far north of Germany. She writes that goods are delivered via horse-drawn carriage and cars are prohibited! It sounds a bit like Mackinac Island to me!
coffee and a pastry (Washington)
I do so love a pastry and a coffee, and this postcard is just perfect! I can just read the legend on the back of the card and I believe this is “Holly Golightly’s Breakfast” by Joël Penkman.
Cuxhaven (Germany)
I received this terrific coastal postcard from Sinn, Germany! The senders visited SF back in 1993 and 1994, and hope to visit again, pending the outcome of our 2024 elections. I don’t blame them.
Are you…? (Ohio)
Helen sent this excellent postcard and included a delightful story. I hope she doesn’t mind if I reproduce the highlights here. Her sister was charged with walking Cyril Ritchard’s poodle, named Trim during rehearsals at the Shakespeare Festival in NYC. One day, they stopped by the Helen’s office to say hi and she got to know Trim. Later, Helen was out running some errands and saw Ritchard walking Trim; she ran over to greet Trim and then looked up to say “Oh, and you must be Trim’s owner!” She writes that she was mortified, but I think that Ritchard was probably used to his poodle being the star of the show, and maybe relieved to not be immediately recognized.
Sydney Opera House at dawn (Washington)
Alyson visited Australia back in 2018 and visited the Sydney Opera House nearly every day, she was that smitten with it. Recently, she was cleaning up around the house and found this postcard and decided to drop it in the mail to me. I do love a later postcard!
“Shadows on the Wall” etc. (Germany)
I received these prints of oil paintings done by the sender, Birgit! I love the colors and depiction of these men! What a great job she did!
keep calm and drink tea (the Netherlands)
I’ve requested postcards of food and drink, and these two lovely senders filled the brief perfectly!
beautiful spring day (British Columbia)
This terrific burst of spring color comes from my penpal Ray in Victoria, BC! He sends news of the spring flowers that have begun to color his landscapes.
And how!
hand-drawn Golden Gate Bridge (California)
How quickly the student surpasses the teacher! I introduced Tracy to PostCrossing just this past December and now, not only is she exchanging cards with a fervor, but she’s begun drawing her own cards as well! Combine that with her thriving penpal hobby and I’m starting to feel a bit left in the dust — proud, but behind. Ha!
Steamtown National Historic Site (New York)
Mejdulene and KB have been exploring the national and state parks in New England for years now. This postcard, sent with yesterday’s, is even older she writes! Terrific!