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.

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Taipei 101 (Malaysia)

My penpal from Lithuania, Andreas, took a big trip to East and Southeast Asia last month. While he was in Malaysia, he sent me this postcard from Taiwan, one of my favorite places on the planet! Taipei really is this stunning folks; run, don’t walk, to visit!

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modern cleaners (Indiana)

As she prepares to move out of state, Nozomi took the time to send me one last card from Indiana, which she’s called home for the past eight years. I agree; there’s something undefinably Midwestern about this scene. What could it be?

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ancient technology (Oregon)

Linda writes: “Isn’t this a weird card? I suppose many people haven ever seen a phone booth!” It’s so true. I’m not ready for this to be a marker of my age. We were visiting Muir Woods some years ago and they have a phone booth in the parking lot (there’s very little cell reception up there!) and a group of teenagers were having a grand time posing with the phone booth and taking photos for their social media accounts. I felt very old.

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Daniel Radcliffe (Indiana)

My friend Nozomi has been a fan of Radcliffe since she saw him perform on Broadway. She’s of course been aware of him since his debut in the Harry Potter series, which holds a special place in her heart despite it all. This postcard was purchased twenty years ago when she was living in Japan! What an honor to receive it!

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stand and deliver (Massachusetts)

How they found time to send a postcard on their last day on the island is beyond me! But J&S don’t know the meaning of “impossible” especially when it comes to their friends. This seven-card series has been such a joy—and the first of its kind on my blog! Thank you both, friends!

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the wolf pack (Massachusetts)

Sent on the last full day of their vacation, J&S continued the trend of meeting their friends, old and new. As exciting as it is, poor Julian writes “Always fun, but of my poor introvert battery!” They’ll certainly need a vacation from their vacation upon their return!

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fine art (Massachusetts)

More of the lovely Naro Pinosa’s art is making its way to my mailbox by the day! On Day 3 of their adventures in Provincetown, Julian and Salvo enjoyed some terrific art, the high heat, and a marvelous Brunello. What could be better?!

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Southern Exposure (California)

What a delightful surprise! Our friends picked up this postcard at Southern Exposure where we hosted our anniversary party and wrote us a lovely message about the event and our friendship. I’m looking forward to seeing Paul and Rob soon!

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Ostuni (Italy)

My Italian penpal Lino has traveled to the famous city of Ostuni, which is often called “the White City.” I can see why!

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LOVE never ends (Nevada)

Earlier this month, we traveled to Las Vegas to attend the very last performance ever of the incredible Cirque du Soleil show The Beatles LOVE. My brother-in-law had been performing as an acrobat “sailor” (and occasional Mr. Piggy) for eight years and we were fortunate enough to get tickets to the final, friend-and-family show. It was so thrilling to see my brother up there performing with all the energy and passion we’ve seen this many years. He sent this postcard to us as thanks for our presence in the audience: as if we’d have missed it for the world!

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Peenemünde (Germany)

Dominique est allé pendant une semaine sans travaille en Pomeranie-Occidentale. Il a visité le site et le musée de Peenemünde d’où les Nazis lançaient leurs missiles sur Londres, Mbruxelles, les Pays-Bas, et Paris. Éffrayant!

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Death Valley (California)

There’s a reason this National Park is called “Death Valley” - it’s literally deadly. It holds the record for the hottest air temperature ever recorded: 134F (56.7C) on 13 July 1913. Besides the temperature extreme, Death Valley is also the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet (86 meters) below sea level, and it’s just 85 miles (136 km) away from Mount Whitney, the highest point in the contiguous US with a peak at 14,505 feet (4,421 meters)! This postcard comes from our friends Greg and James who spent one of their birthdays there while the weather was a mild 118F (48C). Oof!

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More to come from the past…