This is honestly something I already wanted to do as a kid! 😱
Sending and receiving postcards from all over the world! I came across a post by Julia Koopman where she talked about doing it, and I immediately thought: I want to do that too!
When I was younger, I actually collected postcards for a while, but at some point I got rid of all of them because I wasn’t really doing anything with them 😅🤦🏼♀️
It’s called Postcrossing, and it’s super simple. You write a little bit about yourself and add your address. Then you click “Send a Postcard,” and you’ll get a random address from someone else who also has an account. Most people also have a little bio where they share things about themselves, what kind of cards they like to receive, and even ideas for what to write on the card!
And apparently, you can also browse through people’s profiles on the website a bit. That’s actually how a woman from England came across my profile where I mention on there that I have adenomyosis, and completely out of the blue she sent me a message about it!
We chatted back and forth a little through the website, and then she wanted to send me a postcard, so I gave her my address. She ended up sending me such a sweet and thoughtful card! She related to my story and shared her own experience too. (Spoiler alert: apparently an organ can grow back?!)
I sent her a nice postcard back, and who knows… maybe I have a pen pal in England now 😊🇬🇧
So far, I’ve received postcards from Belgium, Germany, Spain, and Sweden.
And I’ve sent postcards to the United States, Germany, Russia, Austria, and Switzerland. Plus England, of course — both received from and sent to that lovely woman!
It’s also kind of old-fashioned, sending postcards, and honestly that’s exactly what makes it so fun. It feels personal, and you actually have to put a little effort into it.
It has definitely restored a bit of my faith in humanity too, because several people have sent me kind messages wishing me luck with my adenomyosis 🩷
Sometimes I honestly feel like I get more support from people I barely know than from close friends or family 😅
Either way, it’s such a fun hobby! I usually buy my postcards at thrift stores because they’re only about 20 cents there, and they often have really cool vintage cards!
Anyway, I’m really glad I came across Julia’s post and that this has become a new hobby for me 🥰
You can read how it all started here! And maybe sign up while you’re there 😜
Thanks for reading, and maybe have fun with this too 🩷