What's Up With All The Postcards? Who and What is Postcrossing?

There are lots of things in life that I take pleasure in. I love researching my family history, watching & reading paranormal documentaries, shopping at thrift/bargain stores, taking road trips with my children and traveling. Traveling is something I have always wanted to do and have been many places. However, one day I want to be able to travel to various countries. As a single mom on a tight budget, traveling abroad is not really an option right now.

So what is a single mom to do with a passion for travel but lack of funds? POSTCROSSING! What is postcrossing you might ask? It is a website dedicated to sending and receiving postcards from and to all over the world. For as little as a postcard & stamp you can enjoy imagery, historical monuments, scenery and so much more from places of interest both domestic and internationally. Postcrossing.com allows you to “travel” without ever leaving your home. It allows you to correspond with people from different countries. Postcrossing.com has been making my mailbox happy for over a year now.

How do you get started? Visit and sign up (free of course) at www.postcrossing.com. Then choose to “Send a Postcard.” At first you can request up to 5 addresses. Postcrossing.com will give you a random address. This address may be here in the USA or somewhere abroad. You are also given a number to put on the postcard. Once the postcard arrives at its destination, the receiver will log into postcrossing and “register” your postcard. At this time, postcrossing sends you an email informing you that your postcard has arrived at its destination. Now, you are able to go request another address. Simultaneously, once your card has been registered, your name “goes in the hat” so to speak. Your name is given to another user and you will be receiving a random postcard from somewhere in the world.

I have been extremely happy with postcrossing.com. I have sent nearly 200 postcards in the last 481 days and received 183. (I have several traveling at the moment that is why there is a difference in numbers). I keep my postcards in an album so that I can look at them from time to time. I now have gained two pen pals via postcrossing, one in Belgium and one in London. My kids have both caught on to this postcard craze and now they too are members. What a wonderful way to teach your children about geography!  So if you are limited in finances or the availability to travel and looking for a way to get a glimpse into the world, check out postcrossing.com. It’s a wonderful community full of amazing people and places!

Below are some of the many postcards I have received: