The Postcard Project

May 2, 2013

During the last two summers, I invited folks over to my parent's house for a garden party.  At that time, I* took a picture of each person close up such that their head took up most of the frame.  I* printed them out, stamped my Turkish address on them, put an international rate stamp in the corner and passed them out.  My goal was to make it as easy as possible for people to send me mail.  

* And by 'I' I mean me, Chris, Ann, Craig, my dad and/or Carol

Between the two parties, plus some extras that I had taken at other times, I think there were about 100 postcards distributed.  Of these I have received about half.  I am quite willing to admit that some of the other half were lost in the mail, some people have flat out told me that they can't send it, as it is the best picture someone has taken of them in a long time and others are probably lost to junk drawers or recycle bins.  

It has been very nice to get these postcards randomly as they are rediscovered or remembered.  It is always a thrill to get something physical in the mail, and to know that 10-14 days earlier someone was thinking about me.  I often check mail on my way to back to the office from lunch and a new postcard always gives me a little boost in the middle of the day.  

After I am finished enjoying them, I put them up on the wall around my desk.  This way, no matter what kind of day I am having, there are always friendly, smiling faces looking at me.  Also, anytime someone new comes into the office they ask about it and I get to explain all over again.  

My desk in the chemistry office.  You are supposed to be noticing all of the face postcards, but you might also see the four giant stacks of lab books waiting for me to grade.  You can check to see if your postcard arrived or not.  

As my time in Istanbul comes to a close, I would like to do something similar for the friends I have made here.  Perhaps I will have one last party to take everyone's picture, or maybe I'll just use their element party pictures.  It will be nice to get mail from here when I am home, but that is months from now.  

Speaking of leaving, if any of you out there in California still have your postcard, send it!  Time is running out.