A Passion For Postcards

There's something really special about the feeling of dropping a postcard into a mail slot and knowing that it'll go on a journey all of its own to finally make it back to loved ones and put a smile on their face. It's so special that I am admittedly a little addicted to it. I don't remember the last trip I went on when I didn't carry out the ritual of posting a card home at least once. This blog post is all about what exactly I love about postcards and the primary reasons of why I still send them in a digital age where the mail is mainly used to deliver bills and parcels.

For the love of postcards!
Postcards have done the rounds and I'm not just talking about them flying all over the world. They've gone from being the only way to communicate with home about your travels to a novelty for children to an out-dated, almost dorky thing to send and back to a wonderful joy for both those who send and who receive them. At least that's how I see them.
I love that they are such a little snapshot in time. You write them in a moment while the thrill of adventure and new things is fresh in your mind and then send them off into the world hoping, but never knowing for sure, that they will make it to the correct address. I love to every now and then get out the ones that I've sent to my mum and dad or to my nan and read them again, remembering that moment when I wrote them and how I felt at the time (maybe I should start writing them to myself too)!

Just some of the many postcards we've sent and received

What a cheap souvenir!
In 2014, Big Sis and I went to the United States and we bought souvenirs for just about all our family and close friends. That ended up meaning that we had a lot of stuff to bring home with us (lucky I try to leave at the very least a third of my suitcase empty when I pack at the start of a trip) and it also meant it cost us literally hundreds of dollars. I guess we got a little caught up in all the cool merchandise and souvenirs available.
Anyway, the point is if you want to give someone at home a memento of your trip then a postcard and a stamp for a couple of dollars each is a great, cheap way to do just that!
I often buy postcards for myself as a keepsake, simply so I have a nice picture and because there is more often than not some really good information on them.

Share the joy!
A little effort goes a long way. Probably the main reason I do this is to share the joy of travel and put a smile on someone's face. There isn't one person I have sent a postcard to that hasn't told me when I got home how excited they were to receive it, that it made them smile and that they loved reading about what adventures we'd been on.
And it always pleases me to see one of my cards proudly displayed upon someone's fridge when I go to their house.

International postcard stamps - the Canadian and Royal Mail ones are ordinary stamps at the cost of an international letter (sometimes an even cheaper option)!

Time is of the essence!
So how do you make time without taking up time on your trip to mail postcards. Now, as has been illustrated above, I love postcards but that doesn't mean that I haven't had times when I couldn't find a post office to buy stamps or a post box to mail them in and this has frustrated me to no end!

So here are a few tips to help ease the angst and increase the joy:

1. Make sure you take a list of addresses with you on your trip. It can be hard remembering everyone's street names and postcodes. I enter them into the contacts in my iPhone but you can always keep a paper copy if you prefer to. I also have a list of names that I tick off as I go as I sometimes find it hard to remember exactly who I have already posted a card to. We wouldn't want anyone to miss out after all!
2. Keep an eye out for a post office or box at all times but don't specifically set out just to find one - trust me you can waste hours on this task.
3. Ask at information centres and souvenir shops if they sell stamps - you don't always have to get them at a post office (make sure you get the correct stamp depending on if you will be sending your postcard domestically or internationally).
4. Write your cards as you go but don't worry about sending them straight away - you will eventually come across somewhere to post them and when you do they'll be ready to go. Further to this, carry them with you when possible, there's nothing worse than finally stumbling upon a post box and not having them with you.
5. Put the stamp on and address your card first - this way you will know exactly how much room you have to write on. I try not to write on the side where the stamp and address go at all as postmarks sometimes cover these areas anyway and make them hard to read.
6. If you are staying in accommodation that provides a mail service use this to get those cards out!
7. If you are worried about privacy you can always put your postcard in an envelope but to me the thought of the mail sorter at the post office reading my cards makes me smile.
8. A great time to write on cards is when waiting in line somewhere, while at an airport gate awaiting a flight, while in flight or on a bus, while waiting for your travel buddy to get out of the shower or basically any down time you find yourself with can be utilised to catch up on writing that postcard.

Everything you need to know to make sure your postcard arrives and is readable

But what will I write?!
You're travelling the world, I'm sure you can think of something! But if you are unsure of where to begin here are a few things to consider:

1. What did you love about this place so much that you bought a postcard - it's simple really, write how it made you feel.
2. If you've bought a card that is representing a broad area such as an entire country list the places you visited specifically and what you liked about them.
3. Write about a funny incident that occurred.
4. Write why you didn't like the place - there's nothing wrong with a joke postcard.
5. Simply write one line summing up your experience. "Loved it!" together with the picture side of the card says a lot.
6. Try to choose a postcard that you think a specific person will really love. For example, if you visit a Monet gallery and you know your cousin is a budding impressionist, send them the card from there and tell them all about it. You may even inspire them to travel there themselves.
7. Remember, it's just a postcard, you don't have to be Shakespeare to write one.
   

An example of a card we sent home to Mum & Dad - note the general wear and tear caused by the postal services!

The most important thing to remember is that sending postcards is a simple and fun way to share your adventures with friends and family.

Do you send postcards when you travel?
If so, what kind of things do you write?
If not, let me know if you think you will try it out now.

Lil Sis