With our cell phones ever at our fingertips, putting pen to paper can seem like such a waste of time. Truth be told, handwriting in a legible format does take more time. However, after sending postcards to my friends for several years, I can say that the extra effort spent writing postcards is definitely worth it. Here are my four biggest reasons to keep the tradition of sending postcards:
1. Inexpensive souvenir
Everyone wants to bring back a nice knick-knack from vacation to their loved ones, but who has the money to buy (much less ship) all those snow globes? Souvenirs can be expensive, especially if you're looking to personalize your gift. However, postcards are generally no more than $0.50 a piece - sometimes even less!
2. Personalized message
Before I even talk about handwriting, it's worth noting that there are usually a variety of postcards available, which means you can find just the right scenes for your friends. For example, some postcards focus on a historic building while others display local wildlife. And for those friends who care about everything in your trip, there are often photographic collages of all the city's elements. Choosing just the right card for each person you love is a fun way to start or end your travels!
Postcards also let you choose what to highlight about your trip. The space on a postcard is just enough so that you can send a simple note or cram novels onto the back. Most importantly, it's a gift you can literally send with your unique signature.
Speaking of signature, what about those cramps from all that illegible handwriting? Legible or not, your handwriting shows the recipient of your postcard that you took the time to write them a thoughtful message with your own hand. What could be more personal than that?
3. Convenient for you - and your friends
As someone who has 10 pen pals (and even more friends) to keep up with, texting updates and pictures throughout my trip would be exhausting! If I wanted to avoid being "that girl" who sent a group message to everyone in her contact list, I would have to open up several messages and write different texts to each of my friends. I would also have to keep up with each conversation throughout my trip, respond to their responses, and essentially spend my entire trip staring at a screen. Who wants to do that?
Postcards, on the other hand, let you pick out your pictures for everyone in one fell swoop. It can be done before, during, or after your travelling. You can also send them as early or as late as you want - same day, several days, even a week after your trip. You can make one quick purchase and then enjoy the rest of the day.
Convenience goes two ways: postcards also don't require a reply, which makes them more convenient for your busier friends to receive.
Postcards are especially great for those who don't or can't text. Some of my pen pals live in assisted living, so postcards provide a great way to keep in touch with them when I'm not able to visit in person.
4. Bless their snail mail
When was the last time you received personal mail out of the blue? Unless it's Christmas or your birthday, receiving something thoughtful and personal in snail mail is rare. Believe it or not, people do usually want to hear from you, and receiving a beautiful picture with a thoughtful message in your handwriting might just be enough to make their day.
Do you send postcards? What's been your experience? If these 4 reasons have convinced you to try sending postcards on your next vacation, please share it with me in the comments below!
Image credit: Margarita Kochneva from Pixabay
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