Postcrossing!

If you're Facebook friends with me, or have been in touch with me within the last couple months, you probably will have heard me mention my adventures with Postcrossing.

Postcrossing is a free website that connects people from around the world via postcards. It's unique in that you do not exchange cards, and every card has an ID number associated with it. So to get started, you have to make an account, of course. :) And then you request an address. You will be given the address and profile of a random person from anywhere in the world, and an ID number - you must write this number somewhere on the card or the system just won't work properly. So, now you send your card off and wait for it to reach its destination. Once the recipient receives your card, they register the ID number on the website, and this now makes yours the next address to be pulled when someone (from anywhere in the world) requests an address! You are guaranteed to receive as many as you send, which makes it a lot of fun. I love sending mail. I always hope I'll get something in return, but it doesn't always happen. Of course I do it because sending mail makes me happy and I don't know of anyone who doesn't like to receive friendly mail,  and I also like making my friends happy. But it makes me really happy to get some in return, so this is a great project for me! It can be a little pricey (International postage is around $2.50, plus have you bought postcards recently? I've found a few that were less than $1 each, but very few. The norm is around $2 each, so....), but hey. It's worthwhile spending for me. :)

So, I thought I would share with you the cards that I have received so far!

From Richard in BC, Canada

From Elke in Germany

From Laura in France, near Paris

From Norma in Sydney, Australia (she sent hers in an envelope and included 4 blank postcards for me to keep/use because she saw I was a newbie, some shaped post-its, and a bag of Twinings Australian Afternoon Tea!)

From Marije in the Netherlands

From Emily in Taipei, Taiwan

From Marta in Poland

From Ciska in the Netherlands

From Irina in Russia (I love, love, love this one!)

From Maggie in Florida, USA

From Tiffany in China

From Olga & Pavel in Illinois, USA

From Chie in the Philippines (I really like this one, too!)

From Varpu in Finland

From Leila in the Philippines (she included her return address and asked me to write back :) )

From Brian in Dublin, Ireland (Probably my favourite so far! It's lenticular and was sent with my birthday in mind)

From Victor in Russia, who shares the same birthday as me!

From Jan in Belgium

From Enja in Germany

I have also received some other correspondence because of this project. Laura from France invited me on her postcard to check out a Facebook group for french-speaking Postcrossing users. Most of the group members are from France, but there are a few from other areas of the world as well. I've exchanged addresses with several of them and have received a few goodies!

From Melanie in France

A birthday card from Stephanie in France

From Christine in Montreal (we actually share the same birthday as well, and she was very sweet and sent me 16 blank postcards for my birthday!!)