Postcrossing: Vika from Belarus

Vika, Belarus
BY-1748620
Requested Address: 24 October 2015

Received: 19 November 2015

Travel Time: 26 Days

Distance: 8,950 km

I'll be honest here, the first time I saw this card, I was pretty disappointed. This definitely isn't the type of postcard that I'd like to receive from a postcrosser. The card looks a lot like a lame promotional item - which it actually is - that most people wouldn't even bother to keep (#SorryNotSorry). Call me picky all you want, but if you found something like this in your mailbox, would you be jumping in joy? I don't think so. 

What made me appreciate it, though, is the fact that it's a piece from an important moment in Vika's life - her first time to exercise her right to vote in Belarus, her home country. I really like how she took her time to write about her experience (first time voters in Belarus get chocolate bars!). While she may not have sent me a pretty, Instagram or Pinterest-worthy card, at least, she wrote something worth-reading. And that's already a hundred times better than postcrossers sending pretty cards with really brief greetings ("Happy Postcrossing!") on the back. 

♥Andy