Four days. Three requests to expedite my passport application. One potential last-minute trip to Chicago’s passport processing center. No passsport.
Instead of stressing, I’ve been making sure I have everything I need for the next six months. Planning outfits, anguishing over whether to take or leave the pink polo shirt. Lame! I have, however, developed a very nice capsule of outfits that intermix well without being too redundant. Here are the pieces:
Cornflower blue t-shirt, teal and pink polos, and red and turquoise spaghetti strap shirts. Brown dress with white polka dots. Khaki and navy capris, and brown and blue skirts. A brown cardigan and cute brown walking shoes cap off the list. With appropriate jewelry, almost all the pieces go together to make very nice outfits. Here is an example of eight outfits from six items. Plus, the different jewelry can change the look of an outfit, even if the shirt and bottom are the same.
I’ve also been spending time rushing around St. Louis county, getting copies of my birth certificate, getting vaccinations, getting blood drawn. This is the picture of the pediatrician’s waiting room where I spent the morning:
Maybe it’s time for me to get an adult doctor. … But the picture books are so fun!
There are officially eight days left. It’s one week from my third annual Two Pi Day party, where I will say “adios” to all my Kirkwood friends and console myself with massive amounts of pie … while I cry. What a sad, rhyming plan.
I’ve been getting a little nervous and sad already, and when I do my 14-year-old little brother likes to hug me and say, “Don’t worry, you’re not going anywhere. Your passport isn’t coming, so you aren’t leaving.”
It’s true: my passport still has not arrived. However, I got in touch with my U.S. Representative, Todd Akin, and help is reportedly on the way. Apparently Congressmen have some magic sway over who gets (or doesn’t get) a passport in time to catch their flight. I just hope Todd doesn’t know it was me who signed all those left-wing, close-Guantanamo-and-let-gays-marry petitions. Otherwise I’m stuck here for sure!
Also: I’m not quite sure how I was supposed to know to call my congressman. My sister told me to, and a friend from college also recommended it. But if I were some poor, isolated loser, I would never have known! I don’t think it says that anywhere on the State Department website, and the passport customer service guy definitely didn’t mention it.
On the up side, I’ve purchased even more stuff. New shirts, new guidebooks, new TSA-approved suitcase lock, new rechargeable batteries, new makeup, new chapstick — new everything. One thing I have not bought is a new cell phone that will work in Europe. I have discovered, however, that I can postpone my (Verizon) account for three months for the small fee of $15, and it will save me $30 in phone fees and three months of service. Yay! (Comparatively, if I had terminated my account early, I would have saved $60 and paid $175 and lost my three months of service — and my beloved phone number!! The thought of losing that dear, dear number for good makes me a little queasy.
In summary:
- If you haven’t gotten your passport, call one of your congressmen. They’re very friendly.
- If you can’t stop worrying, shop more.
- It makes more sense to postpone, not cancel, your cell phone plan.
I applied to renew my passport more than 14 weeks ago, as soon as I found out I’d be going to Spain. The U.S. State Department’s website is still advertising that it takes 10 to 12 weeks for processing. So as the weeks pass and my mailbox remains empty, I’ve been getting anxious. On the passport website, I’ve checked the status of my application several times. “Thank you for submitting your passport application! It is currently being processed,” the site cheerily announces.
The site also advises, “If you are traveling within 2 weeks and have not received your passport, please contact the National Passport Information Center with the above locator number. It will enable them to update you on the status of your application.”
So I called today. I spent about an hour on hold at various points during the day, but I was eventually connected to a customer service representative. We spoke for about two minutes, during which time he said, “Alright, your application is being processed. That’s all I can tell you.” No estimate of how much longer it might take. No explanation of why I was told to call the number, if they could only give me the same information as the website. One redeeming factor: the representative let me know that, if I hadn’t received my passport within three days of my departure date, I could call back. Thank you, federal government.
Photo credit: gadgetgirl of Flickr.
I finally bucked up and bought a backpack. It means something very scary — I’m really, truly going abroad for six months! I do feel better knowing that the pack is a good one, the REI Grand Tour for Women, and should treat me well. It has a bunch of sweet features (Zip-off daypack? Yes please! Stow-away shoulder straps? Mhmm!), lots of pockets, and fits pretty darn well. I feel pretty confident I can make it through the wilds of Madrid safely. ¡Gracias a Dios!
I’ve also recently acquired a Packtowel, a travel alarm, a camera case, a 2G memory card, some comfy walking shoes, little Woolite packets, a travel pillow, and a hostel sleep sack. Interesting discovery: I was going to invest in a converter, because the sockets over there put out a higher current, but the only electronics I’m bringing over (laptop, iPod charger, battery charger) all accept that higher current. Some forethought just saved me about $30. May the luck hold!
