Postcrossing in Åland Islands

A First day cover from Åland Islands 🇦🇽 

Postcrossing 

Date of issue ; 07-06-2019

There are so many cool things about this stamp! First of all, images don’t do justice to its shiny metallic surface, whose colors shift from pink to purple. But there’s also the fact that this is a not a normal stamp… it’s heart-shaped! You can carefully detach the inner perforations and transform the stamp into a heart ! 

This special stamp was designed by Åland Post’s own Cecilia Mattsson, and issued on June 7th, 2019. 

To celebrate the occasion, the Finnish Postcrossing Friends Association timed their annual trip to Åland to coincide with the stamp launch.

Two postcrossing meet-up cards from Åland Islands meet-up on June 7th , with the signatures of all participants. 

The first postcard has the first day postmark of the postcrossing stamp 

The second postcard has the special postmark for the meet-up ! 

I love postcrossing for the simple fact that it lets me “meet” so many interesting people across the globe - interact with them , listen to stories , exchange ideas , help out each other in small ways ... isn’t that what makes life more fun !! Every time I receive a postcard / letter , I am overwhelmed by the fact that someone somehwhere thought about me - and wrote few kind words and took pains to drop it in the mail ! I am also amazed at the complex and precise postal systems across the world that deliver your letters in such co- ordinated way !! 

I would surely say that postal system is one of the pinnacles of human civilisation - an absolutely organised and intricate mechanism of transmission of messages .. it has stood its test even with the onslaught of the digital media !!