Author

Tags

Share this story

Pass It On: Posted

A Guideposts staffer discovers the joys of communicating with pen pals via postcard.

An artist's whimsical rendering of a postcard traveling around the world

I served in the Army before I came to Guideposts. Getting letters and cards—some from friends, some from strangers who’d volunteered to write to soldiers—made my deployments to Iraq easier to bear.

I loved hearing about life back in the United States, especially in parts of the country I hadn’t been to.

Which is why I was excited to learn about Postcrossing.org, a website that arranges for people to receive postcards from around the world. It was founded in 2005 by a Portuguese man who calls himself “a geek with a passion for postcards.”

He knew there had to be other people who shared his passion and got a kick out of getting mail from faraway places. His hunch was correct—Postcrossing has almost 500,000 users in 214 countries.

Getting started is easy—create a user name and fill out your profile. When you’re ready to send a postcard, the site shows you a member profile with an address and a postcard ID.

You mail that member a postcard. The recipient logs the ID on the site. Then you’re eligible to receive a postcard from another user.

I just sent out my first postcards, to people in Germany, Russia, China, Hong Kong and the Netherlands.

I had so much fun picking out the cards and sharing my favorite New York spots. I can’t wait to see what comes to my mailbox!

Download your FREE ebook, Rediscover the Power of Positive Thinking, with Norman Vincent Peale.

Share this story

Mysteries and Wonders of the Bible Right Rail Ad

Community Newsletter

Get More Inspiration Delivered to Your Inbox

Donate to change a life together

Scroll to Top