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.
I’m from the Midwest… (Illinois)
Kimee and MIchael picked this terrific postcard up for me on their trip to Chicago! Now, I won’t quibble here about whether Michigan or Chicago are part of the Midwest (I argue we’re Great Lakes, not Midwest), but I do have strong morals/els!
Zagreb (Croatia)
This postcard didn’t get forwarded to my current address, so I only picked it up a few days ago! But Matty passed through Croatia on his grand European tour, sending me this beautiful postcard, which is not rectilinear in outline!
a peculiar bird (Illinois)
The USPS gets a great many things right so much of the time, so it is quite surprising when something unexpected happens. In this case, the postcard that our niece and her boyfriend sent was a bit mangled in the mail, arriving in a plastic apology envelope. It must have taken quite a bit to rescue it, since it was sent almost a whole month ago. Still, the USPS came through and delivered it nonetheless, so good on them!
Do you know the famous limerick about pelicans?
A wonderful bird is the pelican.
His bill can hold more than his belican.
He can hold in his beak
Enough food for a week,
But I’m damned if I see how the helican.
Chicago dog (Illinois)
AS part of a support trip for the Chicago Marathon, our dear friends Kimee and Michael visited the US’ third-largest city. I’m glad they notice the small details, especially the lovely painted nails on this hotdog-friend!
Wörlitz (Germany)
I recently sent a bunch of postcards out on PostCrossing for World Postcard Day. Those postcards arrived and now I’m receiving their “replies,” this one coming from Germany. The sender has a particularly dark outlook, despite the sunny aspect of the postcard. He writes ”We have a rainy autumn now, but not with hurricanes like USA. Florida is really dangerous this time. And San Francisco is waiting for the next earthquake.” Well, happy postcrossing to you too, friend!
Runners from Day of the Dead (Texas)
Andy went to Austin, TX recently and visited the Mexic-Arte Museum. He saw this postcard and thought of us, writing “Here’s a depiction of you and me running into our mid-late 100s.” From his pen to the goddesses’ ears!
la Tour Magdala (France)
J’ai reçu cette carte postale de mon ami Dominique en France. Il me récommend de visiter cet endroit, surtour pour l’histoire et l’art de la tour.
an impossible puzzle (Oregon)
Who could solve this puzzle?! It’s impossible to try. Thanks to Linda who sent this after her recent visit to the Oregon Coast, which was her first visit outside Portland in quite some time!
Bled, Julian Alps (Slovenia)
Matty’s tour continued across Europe and into Slovenia, where he stopped in Slovenia to visit Predjama Castle and Postojna Caves. What a terrific vacation!
Ratatouille et la Tour Eiffel (France)
I wonder if they remembered that this is one of Andy’s favorite movies of all time when they picked this card to send to us? They spent some time in Le Marais right before fashion week so there was lots to see!
Quechee Gorge (California)
Tracy send this postcard on World Postcard Day, which was a touching treat to receive!
Château d’Angludet (France)
Our friends Julian and Salvo were on a grand European tour and stopped in France, specifically Bordeaux for some terrific wine tasting. What a beautiful place to make, drink, and enjoy wine!
Drachenburg Castle (Germany)
Tobias and Philipp took a trip back to Germany to celebrate two weddings, and of course visit family and friends! This is the Drachenburg Castle, not a real one but instead a villa built recently in the 19th Century. Super cool!
ArtPrize (Michigan)
My sister-in-law Nikki took a trip to Grand Rapids and visited ArtPrize, described on the back as “…an international art competition and festival open to all and determined by public vote and expert jury. ArtPrize encourages critical discourse, celebrates artists, transforms urban space, and promotes cultural understanding.”
Repubblica di San Marino
Matty sent me this postcard from San Marino; it’s my first from this country! As I’ve written here before, I am fascinated by micro-nations, so I’m particularly excited to receive this postcard! In fact, I’m currently living just a few blocks from the Honorary San Marino Consulate here in San Francisco!
paysages d’Alsace (France)
Dominque, mon ami à lettres, sait très bien que nous adorons le vin. En fait, nous avons même appellé notre chien “Pinot.” Dominique m’explique que le début septembre se commence la récolte. Il me récommend de trouver un grand cru Rosacker.
Shakespeare and Co (France)
On their European trip, Salvo and Julian stopped by Paris to spend a few days in le Marais. They enjoyed the lead up to Fashion Week and lived their best Devil Wears Prada lives, as no one else but they could do! The cherry on the sundae is the incredible stamp, which celebrates France’s very famous baguette. It’s scratch-and-sniff!
Craco (Italy)
My penpal Lino and his husband Lino (“i Lini!”) are on a trip and visited this ghost town in Matera. Who doesn’t love a good ghost town!?
Broken Chair (Switzerland)
Daniel Berset’s “Broken Chair” sits outside the United Nations office in the Place des Nations. So many possible interpretations come to mind - what do you think of this piece? Matty writes about his grand tour of Europe and North America, which sadly lacked a UN tour due to construction.