- Jr. Ranger badges
- National Parks
- Snail Mail
- Postcards
- Public transportation
This post is about postcards.
My postcard collection was probably a side effect of my packrat tendencies to collect everything-- bottle caps, rocks, quarters, flat pennies, boxes, Coke bottles, you name it. But postcards hold a special place in my heart, because there is no better feeling than getting something in the mail. As much fun as it is to write postcards, it's much more fun to have a pen-pal situation. Especially pen-pals who appreciate a good ol' corny postcard. In fact, due to different pen pals traveling and living in the midwest, I'm discovering just how many postcards involving corn exist out there!
My first pen-pal was a girl named Dawn. She was from Kansas, and my third grade class exchanged letters with her third grade class. I didn't like her, because she wrote about how much she loved pink. Our exchange didn't last long.
I currently correspond via postcard with a few regular pen-pals, spread across the country. I find that it is the best way to keep in touch-- more thoughtful than sending a text, less time-consuming than writing a four-page letter. Most of these pals are camp friends who always seem to appreciate snail mail the most, having lived in a place with limited internet for weeks at a time.
Pen-pal Story Time:
This one time, D-Rod, Maia, and I were headed out of the backcountry of Denali on the bus. We trooped to the back to sit with the other dirty backpackers, and met two guys who had also just come out of the wilderness. We shared stories and met up for celebratory we-didn't-get-eaten-by-bears pizza, then traded addresses. I didn't know then, but one of these guys turned out to be a stellar pen-pal!* You never know where you'll meet a new pen-pal!
Here are some corny postcard winners, if you are wondering what constitutes a good amount of corny:
Over the years of collecting and receiving corny postcards from all over the country, I have compiled some take-aways.
1. The best states for corny postcards are: Alaska, Iowa, Idaho, Minnesota, and South Dakota.
2. Common themes for corny postcards are: cute animals, large vegetables, bears, jackalopes, factoids, cowboys, and hillbillies.
3. Always check out the postcard section in thrift stores.
4. One dollar is way too expensive for a corny postcard, but is legit for an arty postcard.
5. Old Western postcards can be found in most gas stations out west, and they crack me up the most (ahem*send them to me*ahem).
*Note: To reach the level of Stellar Pen-Pal, you must sent postcards often, and they must be corny.
