The Postcard Habit

I collect postcards. I fell into the hobby a few years ago when an internet friend mentioned the website postcrossing.com. It allows you to send and receive postcards from other users around the world. I've since joined their forum, which allows you to set up private swaps, and participate in other postcard-trading activities. It's been a little over three years since I started collecting and I should hit the 2,000 card mark by the end of the year. I used to post my cards on my tumblr account, as I received them. But I've gotten really bad at scanning them in a timely manner, so I'm usually scanning close to 50 cards in one go. But here are some of my favorites.

*Note: All photos can be enlarged by clicking on them

I collect UNESCO World Heritage Site cards. I think it's really cool way to learn more about history. And some of the natural sites are so gorgeous.

Ayutthaya, Thailand & Salvador de Bahia, Brazil

My childhood love of fairy tales has definitely lead to a love for postcards with castles and palaces. The fact that they're a rarity in the US doesn't hurt.

The Winter Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia & Schloss Neuschwanstein, Germany

As a future librarian, I'm also a huge fan of library and book-related postcards:

Trinity College Library, Dublin, Ireland & Kremsmünster Abbey Library, Austria

I can't resist the cuteness of Korean Jetoy cards and Russian Kotovasiya cards. They appeal to me so much, as a cat lover.

Kotovasiya & Jetoy

We're now approaching my favorite time of the year for postcards. I love all the different varieties of Christmas-themed cards, but my absolute favorites are photos of cities and towns lit up for the holidays, and the gorgeous Christmas markets of Europe.

Christmas Market in Vienna, Austria & a postcards shaped like a reindeer

Of course, the thing that gets me the most excited is seeing a postcard in my mailbox from a new country. I've got pretty much all of the common ones at this point, but the rare ones get me really excited.

Faroe Islands & Iraq & Valparaiso, Chile & Georgetown, Guyana

My full collection can be seen here.