I think there’s something nostalgic about sending and receiving postcards. That little moment of joy when you open the letterbox to find someone has been thinking of you on their holidays and has gone to the effort of finding a postcard, stamp and post office. That’s special, right?
I have family all over the world, and as a kid I cherished the postcards that arrived from far flung, exotic locations. These precious mementos were always stuck pride of place on the fridge – a reminder that the world is big and must be explored. My family still send each other postcards, and they still go on the fridge.
So, are you still sending postcards? Or are they redundant in a social media world?
On the topic of postcards, I shared a neat travel tip the other day by blogger @findingalexx.
Her recommendation was to buy postcards from each place you visit and on the back, write the funny moments, the best food you ate, interesting people you met, or things that surprised you – the detail that you’ll probably forget many years from now. Postcards don’t weigh much in your bag and they’re easy to display on a wall or in a photo album. When you read them, 20, 30 or 50 years later you’ll be transported back to that time and place, remembering the special moments that will make it feel like yesterday.
I’ve collected a huge stack of postcards from all my travels and really wish I’d done this!
Several people messaged me to say what a great idea it was. One friend messaged to say she actually finds it hard to get postcards in a lot of places these days. I’ve struggled to find them sometimes too.
Finding Alex suggests going to small independent gift shops or art galleries to get postcards illustrated by local artists. “They are so much cooler than typical oversaturated photo postcards and it’s great supporting local artists and seeing their city from their eyes.”
Writing this has reminded me of all the postcards I have tucked away in boxes, I really need to find a way to display them. I once saw postcards and travel photos placed under the glass of a large dining table – a great conversation starter at mealtimes!
Call me vintage, call me retro, but I won’t be giving up on postcards any time soon. From now on I will be writing notes on the ones I’m keeping though. Future-Shan will thank me for it 🙂
Ps. Another great idea is collecting Christmas ornaments on your travels, so every Yule you can remember all the places you’ve been.
Hi, I’m Shannon, a travel and food blogger living on the Gold Coast in Australia.
My favourite things are long lunches, bike rides and food tours.
You can read about my adventures, follow me on Instagram @_eatwelltraveloften_ or sign up for my newsletter on the home page.
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