Today marks the 16th anniversary of this project and we’re feeling a little overwhelmed — with happiness and also gratitude for all of you, who joined us on this adventure.
We were just kids when it all started back in 2005, and it feels like a lifetime has passed since then. In the process, we’ve learned that it’s hard to keep something running for 16 years. More than technical skill, it takes infinite amounts of patience and just sheer stubbornness to persist through tiredness and frustration, day in and day out.
But when we open our mailbox, there’s sometimes a postcard there from a kid that put all their focus into telling us about their day. A letter from someone who struggled with an illness, and to whom Postcrossing was lifesaving. Notes from parents and teachers, bringing up a generation of children that are aware of people outside their bubbles. We see friends getting together at meetups, bonding and building local micro-communities which become a part of their identities. People falling in love, even!
And all of that makes it worth it, and special, and like a gift we couldn’t possibly deserve, but one that we cherish immensely. So thank you — to all of you. We might have built the shell of this platform, but every one of you made it what it is today. You’re what keeps Postcrossing going.
Happy Anniversary to you Ana and Paulo and thanks from the bottom of my heart for starting this project 16 years ago.
Happy Postcrossing and Happy Anniversary to all of us who enjoy this great hobby of sharing joy and love into the world through postcards.