Postcrossing: The Postcard Crossing Project

Let me just say: I love Postcrossing. I have been a member since 2006 and while I haven't sent postcards for about a year and a half, I'm getting back into it and it's so much fun!

What is Postcrossing, you might ask? Simply put, it is a way to send and receive random postcards from all over the world! I love traveling and learning about other places and cultures; I also love receiving mail. This is a fun way to receive a piece of mail from anywhere in the world, perhaps catch a glimpse of that place, and read a short note from the person who lives there!

From the website:

The goal of this project is to allow people to receive postcards from all over the world, for free. Well, almost free! The main idea is that: if you send a postcard, you will receive at least one back from a random Postcrosser from somewhere in the world.

Why? Because, like the author, there are lots of people who like to receive real mail. The element of surprise of receiving postcards from different places in the world (many of which you probably have never heard of) can turn your mailbox into a box of surprises - and who wouldn't like that!

How does this all work, you might ask? You basically request an address, send the postcard with a code on it, when that person receives the postcard they enter the code into the website, and then you receive a postcard back from someone else. The Postcrossing website also keeps track of all of your stats - where you have sent and received postcards from, how many days it took to arrive, profile information, special requests, and more.

Personally, I have received 36 postcards from 18 different countries from all over the world! Postcrossing also has a forum section of the website where you can meet and discuss with other members, meet pen pals, exchange random items (I've traded chocolate bars and tea with people in the past!), and many other fun things! Here is my profile on the website - if you'd ever like to exchange postcards or letters, just let me know!

If you're interested in postcards, receiving mail, or learning about other parts of the world, I highly recommend joining Postcrossing! Happy Postcrossing!