Sending Postcards

When was the last time you sent anyone a postcard? When was the last time you received a postcard?

The age of e-mail, cellphones, and what-have-you, have made postcards more difficult to send. Well, just imagine going through the trouble of buying a postcard, actually writing on it by hand (gracious!), having to buy a stamp, and needing to go to the post office to mail it? If you were staying in a hotel though, am sure the concierge or some hotel staff would happily help mail the postcard for you. Still, sending a postcard really takes some effort compared to just turning on your laptop or your desktop to send e-mail.

I was pleasantly surprised then to receive another postcard from Cairo, Egypt from a net friend. =) He was busy traveling again and he sent me greetings from the land of the pharaohs! Interesting postcard featuring a solid gold piece of King Tut. Prior to this postcard, I remember I also received postcards from Europe and the US. Am I green with envy from all the traveling he must be doing.

Kidding aside, I do appreciate the effort taken to send me these cards. It has actually inspired me to take up the practice again (I used to send postcards a long time ago too) and have decided to send myself a postcard too from every place I or my family visits so I can start a postcard collection. That would make a welcome addition to any photo album or scrapbook I will be putting together of any trip. I mean it's nice to buy a postcard and then include a blank one in your photo album but it lends your album more character if the postcard had an actual postmark and stamp from the place you visited. You can even write yourself a short note about what you liked best about your vacation or your most memorable experience during the trip.

So, shall you also start sending postcards again?