Postcrossing is a unique global project that allows members to send and receive postcards from around the world. But it’s more than just a platform for mailing postcards – Postcrossing facilitates intercultural communication and exchange between its members. Through Postcrossing, we’re given the opportunity to glimpse into the lives of people from diverse cultures and build connections across borders.
My Postcrossing Story
I first discovered Postcrossing back in 2016 and was instantly enamored with the concept. As an avid traveler always looking to learn about new places and cultures, Postcrossing sounded like it was made for me!
I still remember the excitement of receiving my very first postcard through the project. It was sent by a woman from Taiwan and featured beautiful traditional artwork on the front. On the back, she had written a warm note telling me about her country and her passion for cooking. This one simple postcard made me feel transported across the world!
Since then, I’ve been hooked. Over the past 7 years, I’ve sent and received over 800 postcards through Postcrossing. Each new postcard is like receiving a surprise gift – you never know where in the world it will come from next.
Some of my favorite postcards so far have been:
- A stunning landscape from Norway featuring the northern lights
- A handmade postcard depicting a traditional Mexican festival
- A postcard written in Korean from a university student in Seoul
- A card showing the famous canals in Amsterdam, Netherlands
Every postcard tells a story and opens up my worldview a little bit more. Postcrossing has introduced me to so many fascinating cultures!
Postcards as Windows to the World
More than just a way to collect stamps or photos from different places, postcards received through Postcrossing provide little windows into the lives of people worldwide.
When you receive a postcard, you get a direct connection to an individual living somewhere in the world. As they share details about their lives, interests, cities, and cultures, the postcard becomes almost like a conversation.
I love displaying the postcards together on a world map in my home. Each one reminds me of a real person I’ve made a connection with. It’s always touching when a sender includes personal anecdotes and descriptions of their daily life or hometown. These personal details breathe life into the postcards.
Postcrossing postcards reveal the diverse lifestyles, languages, landscapes, traditions, and more that make each country unique. Over time, I’ve come to feel like I have virtual pen pals across the globe!
Virtual Visits Across the Globe
One of my favorite aspects of Postcrossing is that it allows me to virtually travel the world from the comfort of home.
Since joining Postcrossing, I’ve received postcards from over 45 different countries spanning 6 continents. Some of these are places I’ve always dreamed of visiting in person one day, like Japan, New Zealand, and Chile. Other countries I knew little about before, like Taiwan, Slovenia, or Morocco.
Every time I receive a postcard from a new country, I feel joy at essentially taking a mini trip there through the images and words shared. It provides a taste of what the country is like – their architecture, scenery, native plants and animals, foods, customs, and more. I’ve been inspired to research many of the places I’ve “visited” through postcards, learning even more about their culture and sights.
Some of the farthest flung destinations in my postcard collection include cards from China, South Africa, Thailand, Russia, Brazil, and all the way from Indonesia! Postcrossing makes the world feel within reach.
Practicing Languages
In addition to introducing me to new cultures, Postcrossing has also helped me practice my language skills!
I studied Spanish for 5 years in school and lived in Spain for a summer. Postcrossing has allowed me to put my Spanish skills to use by writing to recipients in Spanish when I know they are located in a Spanish-speaking country. This gives me a chance to spread some linguistic and cultural exchange too!
I’ve also received postcards written in languages like German, French, Chinese, Arabic, and more. I try to decipher what I can, then use online translation tools for the rest. It’s fun to puzzle out messages in different scripts and alphabets.
For those just starting out learning a new language, Postcrossing is great practice. You can read the messages written to you, then attempt to write basic responses. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes – the recipients are usually delighted to help you learn!
Celebrations and Holidays Around the World
Postcrossing has expanded my cultural awareness by introducing me to holidays and traditions celebrated in other countries.
Postcards I’ve received around Christmas time depict unique holiday customs, like the Nativity scenes popular in Italy and Mexico, or the alcoholic “glรธgg” drink enjoyed in Nordic countries.
Other cards showcase local celebrations like Brazil’s colorful Carnival festival, Taiwan’s sky lantern festivals, and the distinctive Semana Santa traditions in Spain.
My favorite is getting to learn about holidays I was completely unfamiliar with before, like China’s Mid-Autumn Moon Festival or the Finnish festival honoring wife-carrying! It’s fascinating to discover each country’s important events.
When writing my own postcards, I try to share some unique holiday traditions from my area too, like decorating pecan trees with beads and lights during Mardi Gras season here in New Orleans. Spreading awareness of cultural celebrations through postcards brings us all a little closer together.
Fostering Cross-Cultural Understanding
At its core, I think the wonderful thing about Postcrossing is that it fosters empathy, understanding, and human connection across diverse cultures.
Reading personal anecdotes and stories from people in different parts of the world helps break down preconceived notions. As you exchange postcards back and forth, you begin relating to each other not as strangers, but almost as long-distance friends.
I’ve had some amazing interactions with fellow Postcrossers where we traded questions and answers about topics like family life, education, transportation, food, current events, and more in each of our countries. These conversations have immersed me so much more into what daily living is like around the world.
Postcrossing brings people together. I’ve encountered incredible kindness and open-mindedness among members eager to learn about and from each other. It restores my faith in the power of human connection. I always walk away feeling our similarities outweigh our differences.
In-Person Meetups
The online Postcrossing community has connected me with members in my local area too. I’ve attended several meetups where we can exchange postcards in person!
It’s always fun to meet fellow Postcrossers face-to-face and learn a bit about what initially drew them to the hobby. We trade postcards from our personal collections, talk about countries we want to receive mail from next, and brainstorm creative postcard designs.
The meetups are relaxed, friendly gatherings. As a bonus, they usually take place at a cool cultural site around the city like museums, art galleries, or cafes. I’ve discovered some hidden local gems thanks to Postcrossing meetups!
Larger Postcrossing groups also hold regional or national meetings and conferences in different cities annually. Members gather from all around to swap postcards by the thousands, hear talks from Postcrossing officials, and celebrate their shared passion. These big gatherings help reinforce the community spirit of Postcrossing.
Tips for Maximizing Cultural Exchange
If you’re just getting started with Postcrossing and want to tap into the cultural exchange element of the project, here are some tips:
- Choose postcards showcasing your home city or country. Send images of iconic landmarks, cuisine, native plants and animals, festivals, etc. to share your culture.
- Write detailed personal messages about your daily life, family, job, interests, travel, and more to bring your postcard to life!
- Ask questions about the sender’s homeland and culture. Show your interest in learning about their corner of the world.
- Learn fun greetings in other languages like “terve” in Finnish or “nyob zoo” in Hmong. Incorporate basic phrases.
- Find members to exchange with who have home countries or languages you want to learn about. You can search profiles by location.
- Look for postcards representing cultural events you want to learn more about like Dรญa de Muertos or Chinese New Year.
- Don’t be afraid to get personal and share stories about your culture! Making human connections is what Postcrossing is all about.
The more effort you put into writing thoughtful, engaging messages and selecting meaningful postcard designs to send, the more cultural exchange you’ll experience through Postcrossing.
Bringing the World Together
In our modern digital world, it’s easy to feel disconnected, even from our own neighbors. In the midst of this isolation, Postcrossing stands out as a way of building genuine human connection across the globe.
Receiving a handwritten postcard from a stranger thousands of miles away bridges the distance between us. We realize how much we can learn from each other when we open our minds.
Postcrossing reminds us that under the surface, we all share similar hopes, joys, experiences, and challenges as fellow human beings despite our outward differences.
I’m endlessly grateful that my curiosity about this novel postcard exchange project has grown into a worldwide window into diverse cultures. Postcrossing has added richness, nuance, and depth to my knowledge of places and people worldwide.
If you have a sense of adventure and wonder, I urge you to give Postcrossing a try. You never know where in the world your postcards – and personal horizons – might travel next. The journey promises to be rewarding and eye-opening as you build bridges across borders and cultures.