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.

Kristopher Geda Kristopher Geda

trippy reconnect (Germany)

This postcard is two layers; a translucent top layer and a printed bottom layer; they spin on the grommet in the center! It comes from an old penpal I haven’t heard from in a while. It was sent to my old address and I managed to snag it before we lost access to the mailbox for good. Did you know the USPS doesn’t always forward postcards?! Very upsetting.

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let’s go! (Germany)

Here’s a postcard from the Frankfort Airport, the busiest airport in Germany and the sixth busiest in Europe. Dominique was visiting Germany to see the interior design showroom of VITRA. I hope he found some good furnishings!

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winter chalet (California)

Julian and Salvo spent the Thanksgiving holiday in Sacramento with some friends, sending this postcard from their lodgings. This hotel has a postcard station with pre-stamped postcards?! I’m sold!

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feeling fowl (Illinois)

In response to a chicken-themed postcard I’ve sent, here’s a great response from our niece and nephew-in-law Emily and Carter, respectively! This is a terrific postcard from one of their recent trips to Fulton Market.

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Pike Place Market (Washington)

Julian and Salvo spent the week in Seattle and were surprised to miss most of the rain we had! They highly recommend Altura, so we’ll definitely have to check it out!

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here they come (California)

This postcards is from Kimee and Michael for Andy’s birthday and it’s just a delight! It’s the card that keeps on giving. The more you read and notice, the better it gets. The cherry on top is that the knight’s name, according to the legend on the back, is “Kris.” Fantastic.

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untitled (Oregon)

This photograph is by Teun Hocks. Of course Linda is the one responsible for this as she always chooses such intriguing postcards! All good news in this postcard which is exactly what we love to see, and of course what we wish in abundance for Linda and all our friends!

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ceci est Marseille (France)

Dominique m’envoie cette carte de ses vacances de l’année dernière. Je ne suis jamais allé à Marseille, même si elle compte comme la plus vielle ville de la France et aussi la deuxième plus grande.

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Tucson (Arizona)

Our friends Kimee and Michael were called to Tucson for a family emergency but still found the time to send this great postcard! It even has a fill-in-the-blank thermometer on the back for you to indicate the temperature upon sending (76F it appears!).

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Bertold Brecht (Oregon)

Linda sends this in the wake of a disastrous election, reframing the question as “What happens to democracy when all the freedoms disappear?” Unluckily, we will be finding out in the years to come. And American voters will have gotten just what they asked for (or didn’t but deserve anyway, by sitting this one out).

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Pristina (Kosovo)

Just when I think we’ve exhausted the innumerable postcards that have come in from Matty’s huge trip, another one makes its way to me! This one from Kosovo, a place I’ve never been (or even gotten close to, really). I’d really love to visit it. Matty writes that it’s beautiful, friendly, and cheap! What more is there to ask for?!

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Cassis (France)

Moi, je connais le Cassis mieux pour sa crème de cassis, mais Dominique m’écrit que les calanques sont renomées pour leur vin et les plages nudistes! Il m’écrit aussi que même si c’est rare de rencontre des vins Californiens en France, il a bu une bouteille dans un restaurant connu à Baden Baden: Robert Mondavi Private Collection Cabernet Sauvignon 2019. Il lui a beaucoup plu! J’en suis heureux car que je sais que les styles sont différents entre la France et la Californie.

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Mariposa Grove (Illinois)

Mariposa Grove is of course in California, but the card comes from our niece and her boyfriend in Illinois. Where they routinely find such great California cards in Chicago is beyond me!

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More to come from the past…