These are the days when the po box 49 feels like a magical portal to the world, and today was definitely one of them. Here’s what i found tucked between one phone bill and a few flyers :
First, straight from Birmingham, UK, a postcard from a Postcrossing Meet-Up at Cadbury World! Yes, the chocolate factory. I love how Postcrossing meet-ups aren’t just about exchanging cards, but also about meeting old friends, welcoming new ones, and celebrating the weird and wonderful world of snail mail – and in this case, while munching on chocolate. Fun fact: Cadbury World is basically a chocolate -theme amusement park and factory tour – it doesn’t get any sweeter than that..
Speaking of meet ups … looking forward to the Greek one the following month.. 20 years of Postcrossing.. !!!!
Next, a piece of Finland landed in my hands – a postcard from Imatra, showing the breathtaking Imatran Valtionhotelli (Imatra State Hotel). This hotel looks like it walked out of a storybook, with turrets and towers like a mini castle. It was built in 1903 in a romantic Art Nouveau style and overlooks the Vuoksi River rapids, which were once a major tourist attraction themselves – even Tsar Nicholas II used to vacation nearby! Now it is a dreamy place to stay if you love castles and snowy landscapes.
Third, a map from Michigan, USA, the kind of card that’s absolutely packed with color and little illustrated icons showing what the state is famous for. Michigan is nicknamed “The Great Lakes State” because it’s surrounded by four of the five Great Lakes – it basically has its own inland seas. It’s famous for cherries, automobiles (home of Detroit and the auto industry), beautiful forests and fresh fish. This card fills me with an inexplicable longing to pack my bags and embrace the adventure of camping there, meeting my beloved pen pal Colleen — the one who has gifted me with all this knowledge and love for Michigan.
Number four was a pure joy : an illustrated card from my dear pen pal in UK, with the message “Doughnut worry, be happy” and a delicious looking doughnut on it. As a certified worrier, this card felt like a sugary pep talk. It’s silly, sweet and exactly the kind of energy i need today – Ironically, it arrived at a time when I’ve just cut out sugar for almost a month now — and I plan to stick with it. So, while I’m absolutely thrilled to have received this card, there’s a small part of me that’s also dramatically suffering as I stare at that doughnut and remember my long-lost love affair with sugar!
Then i travelled (on paper) to the Netherlands, to the town of Nijmegen, which is actually the oldest city in the country. The sender was very generous with the description and the information on the back of the card so here is what i have learned. The postcard shows the Titus Brandsma Gedachteniskerk, a stunning memorial church named after Titus Brandsma, a Dutch Carmelite priest, journalist and professor who bravely opposed Nazi ideology during WWII and was later declared saint. The church is bold, modern yet warm, with high arches and a peaceful vibe – you can almost hear the echo of prayers when you look at the card.
And finally, a card from New Orleans, Louisiana, showing the iconic French Quarter. This postcard hit me in the heart a little. New Orleans has always been one of the places i have wanted to visit. Its music, food, history, and spirit are legendary. But i was also reminded of what my father told me. He travelled there twice, once before Hurricane Katrina, and once after, and he said the city felt different, like it lost part of its soul in that storm. He used to wonder if the people would ever fully recover. I hope they did, because i feel like if there’s any city that deserves to dance again, this is New Orleans.
So, that’s today postal journey, from chocolate to castles, from doughnuts to jazz. It’s wild how much history, sweetness and human kindness can fit into six little rectangles of paper..
Tell me.. which one would you want to find in your postal box?
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