The Lost Art of Postcard Sending

Back in December, during my Advent blogging, I posted these handy hints for postcard writing.  More recently, my sister and I agreed that is was a shame that we didn't write (and post, that's the crucial part) more postcards.  They are always lovely to receive - especially if unexpected.  Wouldn't it be great, I said, if there was a facility for printing postcards straight from your phone...  Well, ask and ye shall receive.

I'm certainly not the first person to blog about Postagram, but since it's relatively new I thought I'd mention it here.  First step is to download their app (you can also create postcards via their website if you don't have a smartphone).  You'll need to create an account and provide credit card details, but this is a once off.

Using the app, it is super easy (takes less than a minute) to select a photo from either your phone album, your Instagram account or Facebook account to turn into a postcard.  You add a message and then input the recipient's address (you can cross-reference your phone contacts).  Then send!

What I love about it is the fact that I can choose the image I want to send, instead of having to choose from the usual cliched range of postcards available.  The other appealing part is that there's no having to remember to get stamps and post the postcard (I'm terrible at this and always return from trips with a selection of written - but unmailed - postcards at the bottom of my bag.)  The service will be less appealing to stamp collectors, since all the postcards are mailed by Postagram from the US - but for me the convenience makes up for this.

I have just sent someone a postcard with this picture - who will be the lucky recipient?  You'll just have to wait and see (and check your mailboxes.)

Travel Aids: The Kindle

It has occurred to me over the past few weeks that Hints to Lady Travellers really ought to include more, you know, hints to lady travellers.  (Or any travellers.)  So I'm taking Official Hints Day out of mothballs and today I want to talk about the single best travel aid to enter my life: the Kindle.

(Image via amazon.co.uk)

It's not as though Amazon needs my endorsement.  As you may be aware, the Kindle is Amazon's best-selling product - and has also been the subject of many the-book-as-we-know-it-is-dead laments.  I'll admit, too, that a few years ago I couldn't imagine ever wanting to part with paper books in favour of a machine.  After all, you can't read a Kindle in the bath.

But, but, but - this was before I packed all of my books into boxes and stored them away.  Before I started travelling around the world and learning exactly what I could and couldn't fit within a 20kg weight limit.  Before I realised that packing enough books to see me through a Europe to Australia flight (including stopovers) would mean that I couldn't actually lift my hand luggage unaided.  Before I got to Australia and discovered the average price of a paperback is $25 (around €20 or £15) due to weird parallel import laws that I don't quite understand.

Enter the Kindle.  It is light and portable.  If you get the version with 3G you can use it almost anywhere in the world - great if you're travelling to non-English speaking countries and need something to read.   It is also (thanks to the 3G and Whispernet function) genius for unexpected delays because you can buy books from the Amazon store and have them delivered instantly to your Kindle.  If I have a gripe it's that the books available for Kindle are heavily skewed towards the bestseller list and royalty-free classics.  But in a way that suits my purposes since I use it mostly to buy/read books that I don't necessarily want to hang on to, but that are good to read on the go.

I can't imagine not having a place in my life for real, paper books - but I think the books that I'll keep and buy will be special books, books that I want to read again, books that have particular meaning for me.  Plus - owning all the real, paper books in the land won't do me any good if they're in one continent and I'm in another.

What it comes down to is that I'm someone who gets very nervous and stressed at the prospect of being on a place (or train, or bus) with nothing to read.  With the Kindle, I can finally take enough with me to survive even the longest journey.

One final hint - I would recommend getting a cover for your Kindle.  I've been putting this off (haven't found one I really liked) and in consequence my Kindle is a wee bit scratched.  However, more and more designers are getting in on the action so there are lots of options.  I like this one.

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Hints to Lady Travellers is definitely not being sponsored for this post - but lives in hope that one day someone will recognise her worthiness and give her a lifetime's supply of free books.