
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.
Miss Schmoutz (France)
Je ne connais pas Miss Schmoutz, mais je l’aime bien déjà! Dominique écrit que cette carte nous montre des plats alsaciens avec des influences germaniques. Il écrit néanmoins qu’il préfère un qui ne figure pas ici: la tarte flambée. Moi aussi je l’adore! Je l’ai connu au Nord pendant mon séjour là-bas comme assistant de langue étrangère.
Miyazaki series 5/100 (California)
This has been a chilly and very windy June so far. That fits this scene; I think the girl in the back looks particularly chilly on this bicycle!
Jumbo Restaurant in Hong Kong (New York)
We were lucky enough to host our dear friend's aunt and mother earlier this month. Aunt Lisa sent this beautiful postcard as thanks for the bread I served. It's I who should be thanking her for taking the bread off my hands!
Miyazaki series 4/100 (California)
I haven't seen this movie, either! Sometimes I think I've seen a bunch of Miyazaki films and then I realize there's a whole catalogue out there!
about Albania
My new penpal Jörg sent this from Albania (it's only my third postcard from that country!). He writes that his plan was to explore the country by train taking day trips out of Tirana. Turns out, there are hardly any trains anymore! “[He] did not expected that.” LOL
"Blucifer” (Colorado)
Technically this postcard was sent to Andy and not me, but I often scan his postcards. Besides, it was sent by Kimee and Michael who are my friends, too! <3
Miyazaki series 3/100 (California)
This came after I dropped off some bread at J&S's during my baking class. I love the pastoral view of this postcard. Is it from “Only Yesterday"? I haven't seen it!
the big book of Polleiro
This is from the Bogos Book (beau gosse [fr.] = hot guy), and how. What a great way to ring in Pride Month!
Miyazaki series 2/100 (California)
Here comes another in our long series. J&S are planning their summer trip to Sicily and Catalonia. What a great travel-related postcard for such news; if only I could fly on my own broomstick like Kiki!
topiary toaster garden (Colorado)
Meanwhile Kimee and Michael took a train trip to Colorado and send me a bevy of beautiful postcard! He's a very delightful one! I'm particularly interested in the unexpected scope of “topiary toaster garden” instead of “toaster topiary gardern"!
Miyazaki series 1/100 (California)
Julian and Salvo got a 100-postcard collection of Miyazaki stills and have decided to send them all to me. I'm so honored to be the recipient of such a huge project!
gay Vancouver (British Columbia)
Andy was in Canada most of this past week; he managed to find some time to get me a really great postcard. He wrote on it and stamped it but then couldn't find a mailbox in time to send it to me. So I got a stamped, hand-delivered postcard from Canada. Pretty great, yeah?
the River Walk (Texas)
I also love the River Walk, which is definitely a highlight of any trip to San Antonio. This postcard comes courtesy of PostCrossing!
Denali National Park (Alaska)
My friend Lauren traveled to Alaska to visit her family and made a trip to wild and beautiful Denali National Park. She writes how it reminded her of how important the work that our NPS is!
As a side note, this postcard was mailed to our old address. Shout out to our great former neighbors, R and S, who texted me and allowed me to retrieve it!
Chicago skyline (Illinois)
Mejdulene was in Chicago, a favorite city of both of ours - especially because we have such fond memories of a trip we took there ages ago. How long ago was it? Must be fifteen years now!
vampire sighting (Oregon)
Again with the excellent postcards. I don't know what it is about Linda, but she's always able to find some great ones!
Acadia National Park (New Hampshire)
Kay and Pei spent Memorial Day in Acadia National Park where they saw lots of dogs hiking! Now that's what I call a national park! :-)
Daejeon meetup (South Korea)
Many places around the world host PostCrossing MeetUps and people sign and stamp the cards and pass them around. It's really interesting to many people to receive them, this one from Daejeon, South Korea!
Haguenau, la dernière (France)
Depuis que Dominique s’est déménagé, j’imagine que celle ci sera la dernière carte postale de son ancien village Haguenau. Voici la Place du Général de Gaulle et la Tour des Chevaliers (XIV siècle).
simple mills (Virginia)
Sometimes people make their own postcards; they can be really creative and fun, a place for people to exercise their art. This one is cut out of a box that these cookies presumably came in. I guess it's a creative reuse of packaging that will otherwise be recycled (or worse: thrown away).