Writing is an excellent tool to hon our language skills. With Postcrossing you can gain penpals, improve your writing technique and discover new places to visit.
I have been Postcrossing since early on in the pandemic. It makes my day when I open the letterbox with a surprise postcard or two, sometimes a few will arrive all at once so it feels like Christmas.
An avid letter and postcard writer since I can remember, I couldn't resist becoming a fellow Postcrosser. I have always loved writing letters and enjoy the process from start to finish. The reward! Yes sometimes there is a reward, not only are you improving your writing but by writing a postcard it can really make someone's day.
I tend to write my PC postcards in English, but I make an effort to learn a salutation and how are you in the recipient's native language. As a 2nd languge learner of French I will write in French to French speaking Postcrossers since it's a great opportunity to put those skills into practice. My French isn't always perfect but that's ok, the worst someone can do is make a correction, one that could prove very useful in the future. 99.99% of the time fellow postcrossers will respond to a postcard received so they can register it usually with an added friendly thank you and that in itself is lovely too.
World Postcard Day was celebrated earlier last month and this year is the 152nd anniverary of postcards. World Postcard day is a day to celebrate the joy that postcards bring us. Postcards have been around since 1869, when Dr. Emanuel Herrmann suggested that a practical and cheaper alternative to letters should be implemented for shorter, more efficient communications. His recommendations impressed the Austro-Hungarian Post, who put them to practice on October 1st 1869, resulting in the Correspondenz-Karte.
If you decide to join, Happy Postcrossing and language learning!