I recently came across Postcrossing.com, a simple yet fun idea for a site in which the users send postcards to each other. Once you’ve created an account you’re allowed to request up to 5 addresses to which you must send a postcard. You can write whatever you want on the postcard, as long as you include a unique code by which to identify the card. Upon receiving a card, the receipient enters the code on to the website which then makes your own address eligible to receive a card.

In the couple of weeks that I’ve been a member I’ve sent postcards to Finland, America, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Malaysia and received two from Germany (both from Saxony… what are the odds?). It’s quite a nice change to slow down and write an actual letter (albeit a brief one) as opposed to all the speed-of-light communication of daily life.

There’s a Postcrossing FlickR group with pictures of the cards people have received. Let’s get some more Birmingham ones on there!