Postcards from California
My grandmother did a lot of traveling when she first retired. I was in middle school and high school for her most active travel years and couldn't travel with her, but I always had her postcards to look forward to. It was a little peek into what she was doing and kept us connected.
I loved that she sent postcards addressed just to me (it made me feel so special). She also wrote postcards to everyone else in the family - but you could tell who she was writing to because she would pick out cards and write her message specifically for that person.
Mr. G and I travel infrequently compared to my grandma's whirlwind, but I keep up the postcard tradition and send at least one to everyone I'm close with at some point during every trip. I know a text message would be quicker (and cheaper) but there's something cool about receiving actual mail from a faraway land, right? :)
In that spirit, I'd like to offer to send you a postcard while I'm in California next month. Now, I won't promise that my postcards will be as witty and magical as my grandmother's, but I will certainly try! Send me an email with your address if you're interested (or to tell me I'm crazy!) to thegiraffelife at gmail dot com. (Take out the spaces and all that - I didn't want to write it like an actual email address and get signed up for a hundred spam emails a day.)
Do you send postcards when you're away?
Wow aren't you a dream! A hint - mail merge all the addresses onto sticky labels, and then stick them onto the postcards. A little impersonal, but saves your hands for the witticisms!
ReplyDeleteI love postcard mailing (as the above indicates) and send upwards of 20 on a long trip - namely to people far and wide that I'm generally less good at maintaining contact with (all corners of the globe) but then of course, g'ma, g'pa, immediate family (thankfully one address) and as many works/vol orgs I'm with. I really should start sending them to myself though - as a memento, to save teh stamps, and put them in journals (or in place of journals - for the last few years I bundle up a year's worth of keepsakes with a ribbon)
Aww, thank you! And I love the label idea :)
DeleteMr. G and I sent a postcard to ourselves once. I tucked that one into our photo album for that trip, and it would be nice to have more :) I'll add our address to my label list so I won't forget us this time!
Wow, aren't you sweet. I remember the joy of getting a postcard too. And you're right, wins over a text message.
ReplyDeleteI keep meaning to send postcards but I'm too lazy. Either I buy the cards but forget the stamps. Or buy both but forget to write. Or write put forget to find a postbox.
I understand! On our last trip, we bought the postcards and stamps at the post office, wrote our messages and mailed them off immediately. Otherwise it never would've happened.
DeleteWow, that is such a lovely thing to offer! It's been so long since I received a postcard that I can't honestly remember the last one. But yes, it does feel special to get a personal card. Your grandmother must have been special to pick out individual cards and put such effort in.
ReplyDeleteI admit, I'm a lazy traveller and always mean to send cards but rarely do. I love Sarah's idea of sending one to yourself as well (dated!) A great way to keep a record of small and big trips over the years.
Thank you! I'm glad everyone likes this idea so far :)
DeleteI agree, postcards are a great memento. Cheap, memorable, and don't take up much space!
What a lovely idea! I miss postcards! I used to always send them, but then stopped......I'm not sure why!
ReplyDeleteYou're not alone! I only have one friend who sends me postcards.
DeleteI send postcards, at least one a day when I travel. hard to turn off the postcard-seeking-sensor when I get back.
ReplyDeleteVery cool! I've seen some neat postcards in my hometown and considered buying them to send to people I know in other states. Even though I'm not here on vacation. Maybe I will??
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