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.
Spello (Italy)
Lino continues to set many of my own life goals with his frequent travels around Italy. Each town he visits seems to be more picturesque than the last!
bear series 8/12
This is the graphic version of “show don’t tell,” counter-intuitive though that may seem.
Yes
Jason Lloyd Art
Neptune Fountain by Giambologna (Italy)
Dominique m’a récemment demandé sur cette carte postale qu’il m’avait envoyé le 18 mars 2026. Je ne l’avais pas encore reçue, mais elle est arrivée il y a une semaine! J’adore les cartes retardées!
Weingenuss Pur (Germany)
As the date of our trip approaches, and our meeting Dominique face-to-face, I’m getting more and more excited! In this postcard, Dominique asks about what we like to drink. The short answer is: nearly everything!
Iowa State Bird
Apparently Nozomi has been trying to send postcards for a while but for some reason, they’re not showing up? This one did, however, which is terrific!
Yoshitani series 52/100
I think this is the last postcard in the series that I’ll receive, sadly. But the good news is that I’ll likely receive most of the remainder to send out to some of my friends!
Stars - Celestial Dress
From the Artist’s Collection
Yoshitani series 51/100
Is it me, or did this one already arrive? Maybe there are two of each of 50 postcards in the pack? I think that’s the case. They’re really beautiful nonetheless.
Princess Kaguya
Japan, Japanese Fairy Tale
Yoshitani series 50/100
Julian has invited us over to read in the warm sunshine of their glorious backyard, but admits that it will likely devolve (my choice of word, and a bad one at that) into wine and laughter!
Pele
Hawai’i, Hawaiian Deity
Yoshitani series 49/100
I like this series of Speak, Hear, and See no evil!
Tiger See No Evil
From the Artist’s Collection
Moravian Pottery and Tile Works (Pennsylvania)
T sent this postcard from the Henry C. Mercer tile factory, which she highly recommends the next time we’re in Philadelphia!
Yoshitani series 48/100
This postcard comes with some spicy takes, which I’ll spare my dear readers (and Julian’s reputation!) :-)
Tiger Hear No Evil
From the Artist’s Collection
Traces XVI (Germany)
This is a postcard from my penpal Dominique; I don’t know why I waited so long to ask but he’s fluent in Alsatian! That explains why he travels to freely and easily in Germany.
Brindisi (Italy)
These postcards make all of Italy look like a coast line! Of course that’s not true; this one is from where the two Lini spent Easter, in the southern part of Puglia. The name of the town makes me think, of course, of this song.
Ovid Winery (California)
One of the (many) problems with my blog is that the scans don’t represent the physicality of these postcards. The last one from Napa was one such beautiful, heavy card stock. This one is a ginormous card (14x21 cm) and it mailed with just a simple postcard stamp!
bear series 5/12
I sent this postcard to thank Andy for organizing a great Saturday during which we attended Hella Chenin, had Peruvian food for lunch, and then congratulated our friend and barber on his new salon!
Adam Likes Sun Lotion
Yoshitani series 47/100
Today I learned about the Palace Theater in Chinatown, just a few days after Julian and Salvo learned about it!
Tiger Speak No Evil
From the Artist’s Collection
Yoshitani series 46/100
Julian and Salvo write about a documentary about an architect named Schindler that they really enjoyed!
Ishtar
Iraq, Mesopotamian Mythology