I had romanticized doing *Postcards* from Jenna forever.
I imagined myself as this very cool and very old woman writing the last postcard, the last note to you like this.
The success of this endeavor until now, in my mind, was measured in longevity. I needed to think of it in that way in order to be able to somehow summon the energy to create and then physically mail thousands of postcards, to you and everyone else, in over 62 different countries around the world. Postcards from ten different cities -- Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Tokyo, Mexico City, Berlin, Amsterdam, Vancouver, Sevilla, Brussels, San Diego, and now -- the last “postcard” from Lisbon. These postcards were illustrated by incredibly talented local artists, and featured poems that I wrote for you on the back.
Each magical postcard that you found in your actual mailbox required so much behind the scenes. Five and a half years of thousands of hours, sketches, drafts, euros, addresses, pens - time with printers, paper experts, postal workers.
But I realized recently that the success of this project was not the stamina that I had to continue it on indefinitely.
The success of Postcards from Jenna was whether or not it actually inspired you to see more of the world.
So, it’s time.
It’s your turn.
Go.
Your last postcard is a luggage tag.
A special one.
It was made out of thick compressed wood fiber (MDF), laser cut to spec by a shop in beautiful Madeira.
Then it was spray painted by me, for you.
Your tag dried while pinned up on my personal clothesline outside of my apartment here, overlooking the Tejo river.
I’ve included a metal loop for you to secure your tag to your suitcase, backpack, duffel. This thing is durable as f@#* and can handle baggage claim no matter where you find yourself.
And I wrote your name on the back.
The rest of it is blank.
There is no poem this time.
You are the poem.
My next chapter is building the coolest guesthouse hotel brand that you could ever possibly stay at on one of your future trips. The first guesthouse will be located in Barcelona, which, quite poetically, was the city where this all started.
I can’t wait to welcome you there.
But before then, it’s time for you to get out there.
Keep your heart open. Go where you want to go.
And send me a postcard, will you?
Love,
Jenna
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A few last notes.
If you’d like to keep in touch with me please add me on my newsletter, Instagram, LinkedIn. Or you can always send me an email at jenna@matecki.co, or mail me a postcard at my P.O. box: Jenna Matecki / 1015 Fillmore St. #29505, San Francisco, CA, 94115, USA.
These tags were only sent to paid subscribers of the project. If you haven’t been a part of Postcards from Jenna and/or you’d like to purchase one of these tags for you, your lover, your family, and/or friend, please reply. These are extremely limited edition and I have a very small quantity left. I’m selling them at 40 euros a piece (postage included).
For subscribers: Your subscription has been canceled. postcardsfromjenna.com / @postcardsfromjenna will take on a new form soon, but it is no longer a postcards club. Stay tuned.
Thank you so much to those of you who subscribed till the end and helped offset the massive cost of this. If you’d like to support my work please buy a copy of my book and leave a five star review, and / or choose to upgrade to a paid subscription to this newsletter.
I think that’s it for now.
All that’s left for you is to book your trip and go.