sammalmquist

Hello! My name is Samantha and I'm 21 years old. I've lived in Michigan my whole life, but I dream to travel the world someday. So far I have only been to India, which was an amazing experience.

UPDATE: 2/18/16

I've been having some issues with my health recently and also dealing with depression among other issues. That is no excuse for the swaps I haven't sent, and I plan to send them all eventually. I am not planning to join any new swaps in the near future, but perhaps after I get things figured out. Thank you all.

UPDATE 3/26/15

I haven't been on swap-bot for over a year. I had some personal issues and I unfortunately stopped logging into swap-bot, but I'm back and ready to start swapping! I had 3 ones, but one of the swappers was nice enough to let me re-send as gave me a 5 rating! I still have 2 and I have sent each of the people a message requesting their address so I can re-send, however the original swap was from early 2014 and they haven't logged on in months. One of the 1 ratings I had tried re-sending twice over a couple years and got no response back.

I used to host a variety of different swaps and I look forward to doing so once more. :) I have recently created a group called Going Postal! so please feel free to join if you are a postcard collector. :)

I really love to learn foreign languages and learn about different cultures. I am a Spanish and Linguistics major in college, and I'm currently learning French and Portuguese. I can speak Spanish at an advanced level. If you speak one of these languages please write in it. :)

I also collect drawings or any other type of artwork relating to Elephants or Mushrooms! Whether it's on a postcard, an ATC or just on a scrap piece of paper. :)

I am currently working as a server (which I love!!) and when I graduate I hope to teach English as a second language abroad.

***I would LOVE to participate in private swaps! If you can send me currency (a paper bill) from your country, along with a postcard, I can send you the same back (or something else you'd like from the U.S.) I am really trying to add to my collection of currencies and postcards! Please message me if you're interested.

(Yes, I know I have a strange mix of teenage fiction and adult literature ;))

Harry Potter

Oryx and Crake

The Hunger Games

Percy Jackson and the Olympians

White Oleander

Fablehaven

Alice in Wonderland

Eragon

The Odyssey

City of the Beasts (Isabelle Allende)

Most dystopian fiction and travel writing!

Anything relating to these animals: Elephants, owls, snakes and peacocks

Any artwork by you, drawings, paintings, doodles, etc. ESPECIALLY elephants and mushrooms!! I collect and display them, even if it's just a small doodle.

Please if you can write in Spanish or French, please do :)

Anything linguistics related

Elephant ATCs

Washi tape

Playing Cards (I especially like jokers! - please only cards with a design on the back making it unique)

Postcards

Stamps

Foreign/Travel related anything (stickers, paper, envelopes, etc)

Bookmarks

Different types of currency (I prefer paper money but I also collect coins)

Key chains

Fantasy related things (mushrooms, fairies, mermaids, unicorns etc.)

Stationery/Paper - Especially Kawaii and cute designs

Stickers

Astronomy - Stars, Planets, etc.

Photos taken by you (instant or other) - Of you, where you live, something you love, anything!

Tea (I collect tea bags too!) I love all different types of tea - the stranger the better!

Souvenir items of any kind

Magazines/Article clippings (from countries outside of the US)

Smash Book accessories

Lisa Frank

Anything related to Indian culture, hinduism, or buddhism

Day of the Dead related items

Anything in SPANISH. Other languages as well with a translation to english if possible!

Mini Envelopes

Mythology

Lotus flowers, Lilies and Lilacs

Rubber Stamps - I just got into these! I love them!

Flavors: Pomegranate, Raspberry, Blueberry, Acai, Blood Orange, Blackberry, Kiwi, Strawberry, Goji

This is just what I came up with off the top of my head, but it's not the only things I would enjoy receiving :) I really love anything that is written in a foreign language and anything that represents your country. I am very interested in cultural items! Thanks for reading!

Aside from pen palling and swapping, I love books, writing, ancient history, mythology (especially Greek and Egyptian), cross-stitching, scrap booking, puzzles and brain games, foreign languages and cultures and traveling. I'm a fan of philosophy and thinking about the "hard questions" of life. I (try to) meditate everyday and I have recently started to actively try to induce lucid dreams. It is an eye-opening experience :)

I prefer no envelopes unless you are sending more than the postcard or somehow displaying your creativity with an envelope or what's inside :) I am NOT a big fan of handmade postcards unless they are specifically related to one of my preferences (especially elephants).

US Swappers If possible please use a forever stamp when sending postcards. They are so beautiful and I (almost) always use them on my swaps to make my partner happy. I would love ANY forever stamp that is no longer available. Thank you!!

I really love all postcards but these are my preferences:

I like BIG or long panoramic view postcards! I like weird shaped postcards, postcards with glitter, etc. If they are different than the norm! I prefer store bought postcards. Here's some specific postcards I like if you want some ideas:

-Postcards with written language other than English (with translation from you if possible!!)

-Mythology (especially Greek or Egyptian!)

-Elephants (Please no elephants from the 100 postcard Animal Box, I already have multiple copies of them!! :))

-Owls or Peacocks

-Fantasy (mermaids, fairies, dragons, etc.)

-Mushrooms/Toadstools

-Harry Potter or Alice in Wonderland

-Mailboxes, mail related

-UNICEF

-World View, Maps, Country, Flag

-Cultural Tradition/Fact/Custom

I am NOT a fan of handmade postcards unless they are elephant, peacock, alice in wonderland or mushroom themed :)

** I also love little drawings and decorations on the postcards. :) I also appreciate beautiful stamps and many of them if possible!**

Also, please, if you can (and even if you aren't an artist) draw me a picture of a mushroom :) They are my favorite and I sort postcards with mushroom drawings in a separate box ;)

Pan's Labyrinth

**Labyrinth (the one with David Bowie)

Harry Potter

Merlin

Disney Movies (animated and non)

Alice in Wonderland

The 100

Doctor Who

How I Met Your Mother

Merlin

If you did not get something from me in a timely manner, please let me know. I am more than willing to send it again if something happened on its way to you.

I truly try to make each of my partner's happy and try to find the perfect postcard or package to send them. I also decorate (with stamps, washi tape, stickers, etc.) to make them unique and fun to receive! I hope others do the same and send something you would like to receive.

I am also very open to private swaps! If you'd like to swap anything at all (or if you'd like a new pen pal) just send me a message :)

I recently discovered Pocket Letters and I love them! I'm more than willing to do private swaps for them.

I understand that everyone here has a life outside of swap-bot, and so if you send out your swap a few days late I will completely understand. It would be nice if you sent a message to let me know, if possible.

Swappers please do not judge someone so harshly for sending a few days late.. sometimes life simply gets in the way. It saddens me to see people act so rudely and rate lower just because the swap was postmarked 2 days late. Please have some empathy. Don't we want a friendly and understanding community? :)

Just as a note, sometimes my swaps will be marked "sent" one day earlier than the postmark may say from the post office. This is because I often address my postcards in the evening and put them in the dropbox after the pick-up time. I mark them sent so I know I dropped them off. On the rare occasion I am late sending a swap I WILL notify you.

I love surprises! If you are interested in being my pen pal (or interested in contacting my for any reason) this is my address:

Samantha Malmquist

4515 East Court Street

Burton, MI 48509

USA

Private Swaps

I love doing private profile-based swaps! Please contact me if you'd like to do one. I am looking for magazines or magazine articles in different languages, oddly shaped postcards, items relating to Buddhism or Hinduism, anything in Spanish and pocket letters!

Just adding this for a little extra information! Thanks for reading :)

If possible I'd rather not receive:

Anything mango/pineapple/coconut flavored

Religious items pertaining to Christianity

Ad/Free Cards

Recipes (I don't cook much)

Anything related to violence, gore or horror

Anything that displays intolerance of any group of people

I'm not a huge fan of "humor" postcards

Journals that are not college ruled (I HATE wide lines!!)