Thank You Postcards
This journal brought to you by…
- Ms. Flynn’s Kindergarten class at Riverwood Elementary
- Ms. Hill’s 3rd grade class at Bon Lin Elementary
- Ms. Ghio’s 3rd grade class at St. Ann Catholic School
- Ms. Cross’s Kindergarten class at Bartlett Elementary
I’m extremely grateful to have hosted a number of exciting challenges during my three PolarTREC expeditions. But none have compared to the success of the ‘Postcards from Antarctica’ Challenge. With this challenge, I set a very lofty goal of sending 10,000 postcards from Antarctica. And while I didn’t reach that number in a single year, we far surpassed that number during the three years of the project. Here are our stats:
- Year one (2012) we mailed over 2,600 postcards
- Year two (2014) we mailed over 6,500 postcards
- Year three (2016) we mailed over 5,000 postcards
Not only was this challenge hugely successful, it was full of surprises. Let me share a few with you.
First of all, please accept my sincerest and most heartfelt THANK YOU to all of the schools, classrooms, teachers, families, museum members and individuals who participated in this challenge. We have received an incredible response from the wonderful folks at Postcrossing, an internet postcard group, so a special Thank You is extended to their members as well.
Because of you, there are postcards headed to all 50 states, including the District of Columbia, and 57 countries and territories. At least one postcard will be going to all seven continents, as well as a few places I’ve never heard of and some I’ve just added to my bucket list of places to visit! Oh, the stories these postcards could tell…
The Pink Palace Education Department was amazed, excited and impressed by the daily flood of cards in my mailbox. I heard comments like:
- Oh, look at this postcard!
- This card is adorable!
- This one is going to Namibia, or Thailand, or Finland. You name the country – I am probably sending a postcard there!
I received so many creative, funny, and just plain cool postcards! Many were hand-made, sketched and/or had original artwork on them. I’m delighted at your creativity – some very curious, clever and talented people are sending postcards to themselves, their friends and/or members of their families! Here’s one of my favorites.
Several of you took the time to find postcards with scenes and animals in Antarctica, photos of the continent itself and even Antarctica stamps!
I wish I could show them all, but here are some of my favorites:
The stories
Oh, the stories! Many were heartfelt, others were funny and some just made me smile. My favorite was the one sent to an unborn child, who will be born by the time the postcard is received. What a wonderful and touching idea!
Several postcards are being sent to soldiers overseas. Thank you for your service!
Another was sent with this message. ‘This card was purchased in Norway. Then flown to New Jersey. Then mailed to Tennessee, then brought to Antarctica. Then mailed all the way back to New Jersey again. I wish I could see all the places it has been.’
Me too! What a wonderful journey that postcard will make!
Many of the postcards are written in different languages. I’ve enjoyed looking at them and finding the different countries on the map.
Gifts and trinkets
Not only did I get thousands of postcards, but I was touched by all the thank you cards, well wishes, gifts and trinkets I received. Several of you even addressed postcards to me and my team at the Pink Palace Museum to add to our collection. We are as excited to receive them back to us as I’m sure you are!
Here are just a few of the beautiful sentiments you’ve sent:
These Hawaiian postcards were sent with a notecard that said ‘I live in Hawaii and though I’ve never heard of the Weddell Seal before [the] Postcrossings post, I was raised around the ocean and have a deep respect for all the creatures who call it home.’
Thank you notes
I was absolutely overwhelmed with the number of thank you notes I received, but I am the one who is grateful! Thank you ALL for sharing in this journey! Again, I wish I could share them all, but here are a few.
- ‘I collect postcards and stamps from all over the world and one day I will pass these on to my grandchildren. Thank you so much for this wonderful opportunity.’
- ‘I never thought it would be possible for me to get postcards postmarked from Antarctica.’
- ‘This is such a fantastic way to spread some postal love. I hope you have a safe and fruitful expedition.’
- ‘Thank you for taking the time and effort to bring some small joy to thousands of strangers.’
- ‘I wish you a very happy and enjoyable trip to the Antarctica and greet the seals and penguins from me. LOL. In case the postage is insufficient, I added additionally $2 for any surcharges. If it isn’t needed spend the money for a cup of coffee or a tasty tea yourself ‘
- ‘I participate in Postcrossing.com and share the cards I receive with the students at my school. We have great fun looking up the places and reading about where the cards originate. Thank you again for filling your limited space with these cards.’
- ‘It is a dream come true to have cards stamped from there [Antarctica].’
- ‘I’ll be waiting excitedly!’
I’m honored to accept these postcards and well wishes. A very big thanks to everyone who has participated! I hope you enjoy the postcards for many years to come!
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