One of my first travel memories was seeing a postcard come through our letterbox when I was a child in Bangor, Northern Ireland. As a kid, you ignore those boring brown or white envelopes and you are intrigued by colour so the postcard that arrived in the post caught my eye.
It was either a postcard from the Netherlands or from London, but I told my Mum I wanted to keep it. For me a postcard is the ultimate travel souvenir. A postcard itself is a journey. It means little or nothing to get an e-mail with a photo on it when you compare it with the journey of a postcard. I fear it's becoming a forgotten art, hence why I still send my family a postcard from EVERY single new place I go.
When I visited family last I found my travelling postcard collection - the collection now contains over 100 postcards from over 50 countries. Amazing journeys for these bits of card.
All bought in various shops across all seven continents (yes, I bought and posted a postcard when I was in Antarctica!), then written with details about what I did there at the time, then a stamp is put on them, then I find a post office or postbox and post them. Then the completion of the journey when my family receive the postcard. What an amazing journey.
From a very cold chilly hut in the British Antarctic Base of Port Lockroy I bought, wrote and posted postcards. From the world's coldest continent all the way to Northern Ireland in the northern hemisphere, this is a great journey for a bit of card, miles from the world of internet and mobile phones.
I bet there are young travellers out there wondering why people still send postcards when you can do everything quicker and easier on e-mail. But it's the story of the postcard that does it for me.
Spot the difference:
1. An e-mail: E-mail v Postcard? I logged on and typed an email and sent it from a computer. I think we all know the answer to that one, at least I do!
2. Postcard: Postcard v. e-mail? A real life physical postcard is bought, written and posted. You don't even need internet access!
Which one would you rather receive?
Don't forget on your next trip you should send a postcard! A physical present. Sending postcards to friends and family really puts a smile on their faces and means a lot more to people than an e-mail.
Postcards are great - keep writing and posting them everywhere you go!
It was either a postcard from the Netherlands or from London, but I told my Mum I wanted to keep it. For me a postcard is the ultimate travel souvenir. A postcard itself is a journey. It means little or nothing to get an e-mail with a photo on it when you compare it with the journey of a postcard. I fear it's becoming a forgotten art, hence why I still send my family a postcard from EVERY single new place I go.
When I visited family last I found my travelling postcard collection - the collection now contains over 100 postcards from over 50 countries. Amazing journeys for these bits of card.
All bought in various shops across all seven continents (yes, I bought and posted a postcard when I was in Antarctica!), then written with details about what I did there at the time, then a stamp is put on them, then I find a post office or postbox and post them. Then the completion of the journey when my family receive the postcard. What an amazing journey.
From a very cold chilly hut in the British Antarctic Base of Port Lockroy I bought, wrote and posted postcards. From the world's coldest continent all the way to Northern Ireland in the northern hemisphere, this is a great journey for a bit of card, miles from the world of internet and mobile phones.
I bet there are young travellers out there wondering why people still send postcards when you can do everything quicker and easier on e-mail. But it's the story of the postcard that does it for me.
Spot the difference:
1. An e-mail: E-mail v Postcard? I logged on and typed an email and sent it from a computer. I think we all know the answer to that one, at least I do!
2. Postcard: Postcard v. e-mail? A real life physical postcard is bought, written and posted. You don't even need internet access!
Which one would you rather receive?
Don't forget on your next trip you should send a postcard! A physical present. Sending postcards to friends and family really puts a smile on their faces and means a lot more to people than an e-mail.
Postcards are great - keep writing and posting them everywhere you go!
About the Author:
To read further stuff like Lost art of postcards visit Jonny Blair's immensely resourceful website Lifestyle of travel for further travel stories and advice.. Free reprint available from: Do travellers still send postcards?.
