It's looking a bit grimy, but this is my childhood mailbox and it's seen a lot of action over the years.  

In the 80's, I wrote to pen pals all over the world through an international pen pal exchange for kids. I had pen-friends in Norway, England, Brazil and Thailand. Sadly, none of these exchanges lasted more than a few years. I was a voracious writer plagued with terrible penmanship. I tried to use Lisa Frank stickers and Hello Kitty Stamps to compensate for my sloppy handwriting, but unfortunately there is only so much that can be conveyed through embellishments.

In the 90's, my penmanship remained sketchy (it has only declined with the use of computers), but my friends still wrote to me and I have hundreds of letters written to all of my friends during high school and college.

There was a huge upswing during the summer/fall of 1995, when I was away at Bard College in upstate New York. Being stuck in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by farms, I directed my boredom and homesick energy towards letter writing. In turn, I received letters, usually more than one a day and it kept me sane. It also didn't hurt that my mom sent care packages five times a week. I made the mistake of telling her that I enjoyed Nutrigrain bars and she sent them faster than I could consume them. I ended up giving away boxes to everyone on my floor. 

One of my favorite things to receive are postcards. I love them! Yesterday, I found a collection of postcards received over my lifetime. This is the pile and although it doesn't look too big, it's a thick pile. 

There are postcards from exotic locations, mostly courtesy of my globe-trotting friend, Luke and many from all across the United States. When I look at all of the postcards, most to places I have never been, they give me the itch to travel. They're a reminder that there are so many amazing things out in the world.

I've been fortunate to have seen much of the United States. I have a goal of traveling to all fifty states. It's a lot to see. The United States is a big place. Of course, my travel aspirations are not limited to the US, I want to see everything that's out there, as much as I can cram into my lifetime. I want to stop living vicariously and to be the one sending the postcards. I am very lucky to be spending so many weeks in the UK this year. 

I have this very romantic notion of spending a few years traveling around in an RV or picking up and moving to another country. I think a lot of people have the same feeling of wanderlust and that's why books like Frances Mayes' memoir, Under a Tuscan Sun are so popular. 

I have a few favorite songs regarding wanderlust. I love Miranda Lambert's Airstream Song, with the sentiment of being torn between living various lives.  

I also love one my of new favorite music discoveries, Kacey Musgraves and her song, My House.  My House is exactly what I wish Dan and I could do right now. I want to hang a map and throw a dart!

I'll end this post with a few of my favorite postcards from my collection.