Finding a postcard in the mailbox is pure joy. From carefully handwritten messages to colorful images and stamps, postcards are little surprises that delight, inspire, and connect us.

On the anniversary of the postcard, we celebrate a worldwide tradition of happiness delivered in an envelope-sized package. Introduced in 1869 as a way of sending a simple message, postcards quickly evolved beyond their practical purpose to become the universal souvenir that brightens everyone’s mailboxes.

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Three Ladies

Some 30 years ago, when I started traveling more regularly for business and pleasure, I had three outstanding souvenir requests from three different women in my life:

• Sami Henjum (née Smith): shot glasses from the cities or countries I visited.
• Susi Wheeler: refrigerator magnets from each destination.
• Anna Welch: postcards from my travels.

Easy enough, I thought. If I didn’t get a chance to shop during the trip, I could always bail myself out at the departure airport.

This routine lasted for decades! Eventually, life shifted. I lost touch with Anna. Susi’s refrigerator reached max capacity, and her request stopped. Sami transitioned from shot glasses to Starbucks’ “Been There” coffee mugs.

I assumed that was the end of my postcard-buying days. But I was wrong.

Postcards Reimagined

My godson Gabe picked up the tradition. At four years old, he couldn’t read the messages himself, but his mom read them aloud. They kept every postcard in a box, little treasures from Uncle Los’s travels.

For a while, I also sent postcards to my friend John Ulrich, who would reply back — often mentioning his Cairn Terrier, Casey. After King Casey crossed the Rainbow Bridge, the replies stopped. But the postcard tradition remained close to my heart.

Discovering World Postcard Day

Truthfully, I didn’t even know about World Postcard Day until last year. In 2024, while searching for geocaches around Tempe, Arizona (where I’d lived for two years), I noticed a digital souvenir was available if you attended an event between September 30 and October 2.

Perfect, I thought: a chance to meet local geocachers and earn a souvenir. I’ll admit it — I love collecting them all.

This year, though, I couldn’t find any nearby events. So I decided to host my own.

Geocaching + Postcards = Perfect Match

Receiving a postcard and finding a geocache have more in common than you might think. Both connect people through discovery.

From hidden caches to handwritten notes, they foster community, spark curiosity, and turn strangers into fellow explorers. Whether tucked in a mailbox or hidden under a rock, the joy is the same: a surprise waiting to be found.

So this year, I’ll be hosting World Postcard Day 2025 at:

Panera Bread (Shoreline / Edmonds)
7929 Lake Ballinger Way, Edmonds, WA 98026
October 1, 2025 | 10:00 AM

Come out to earn your digital souvenir, trade a few Travel Bugs, and maybe win a raffle prize or two.

Postcrossing

One final discovery: Postcrossing. I only just learned about it and immediately signed up. The project connects postcard senders worldwide — for every postcard you send, you receive one back from a random participant somewhere on Earth.

It’s simple, delightful, and feels like joining a global pen-pal club with a vintage twist.

So, Spaceship Earth, want do you plan to do to celebrate World Postcard Day?