How I Spent My Extra 10 Bucks: Week 3
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Almost 2 years ago, a friend introduced me to the fun and addictive world of Postcrossing. It's a very simple idea: you mail a postcard to a Postcrossing member in another country, and after they've received it, another member will send a postcard to you. Each postcard is assigned an ID number so it can be tracked on the website, and all recipients are assigned at random so you'll never know which country your next postcard will come from.
I was dubious at first, but it's really a lot of fun! The majority of members come from just a handful of countries - the USA has the most members, with Finland, surprisingly, at #2. As a result, the majority of cards I've received have been from Finland (they have some really cool stamps, by the way), but you still a pretty good mix of countries. Today I received a card from Düsseldorf, Germany!
Although the element of surprise is fun, it can also be frustrating. Although I've received more than 60 cards - including a whopping 18 from Finland - I have yet to receive a single postcard from Italy! Italy ranks 13th out of all countries in the number of Postcrossing members, so it's not as if the chances of getting a card from Italy are slim. I've gotten cards from Norway, New Zealand, Belarus, and even Estonia, of all places! Why can't I get just one measly card from the land of my ancestors? I think Postcrossing's "random" distribution system is mocking me.
I sent out a bunch of cards recently (trying to finish off my stamps before the postal rate increase next month) but yet I remain thwarted in my quest for an Italian postcard. So I put this week's $10 toward some more international postage that will inevitably result in 10 more cards from beautiful Lapland. But there's always hope! And if you'd like to check out all the neat cards I've received so far, click here.
Labels: My Extra $10
posted by Vinessa @ 9:05 PM,
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