It's Here!!!!!

 I went to the mailbox, opened it, and there it was!! The solid white, hard cardboard envelope. I looked at the return address and it was an address I did not recognize. It said US Government. I panicked a little. Was I going to be audited? (I am PETRIFIED of dealing with tax people.) I got back in the van and proceeded to open my intimidating white envelope. And there it was....[...]

MY PASSPORT!!!!

 

I had sent off for it 6 weeks prior but I had forgot about it. (I just got my passport at the end of February, this year!) Once I did open it, I sighed!  Hahaha! I was so happy that I even thought to snap this picture! No this is not a "re-creation" this was in that very moment! (Makeup less and all!)  But let me tell you about all the stress this little blue book has caused me!

For the record, anything legal or official makes me FLIP out! I am so scared of doing something wrong it is not even funny! So needless to say, passport paperwork made me a hot mess! (Do you have that saying where you are from? Hot mess? It is my new favorite phrase.) So off to get my passport I go. I did have enough brains about me to call ahead of time to find out what I needed to get my passport. She told me a passport photo, a certified birth certificate and lots of money. Haha, no seriously she told me the amount! But it really was a lot of money! Not only was I stressed about the whole process but I was completely stressing over my photo! I had just got a haircut and it was not flattering AT ALL! I am a bit concerned because that picture is going to be around for 10 years!! It really was a scary picture. It is almost sad it is so bad. Moving on.....

The application for this passport was a book in and of itself! She unfolds the application and she starts pointing out what I need to fill in. I was lost after the first few lines. I am guessing she could sense my stress over the whole situation because she says, "Just start filling in and if you have any questions you ask, okay?" I reply, "Well that is the ONLY THING simple in this situation!" I continue to find humor in how stressed out I was, all over a little blue book!

Long story short and several strikethru errors later, I had my passport application completed. She directs me to a nearby window to give away all my money and then I am to return to her. She has me place my hand on the Bible and raise my other hand- I had to promise all information was accurate to the best of my knowledge. They are serious about this paperwork, that was apparent! Finally I had my paperwork completed and she assured me I would receive my "reward" in several weeks. 

Now back to where we started from, I got my passport!! Why you ask?? Well I have ALWAYS, since I was a little girl, wanted to go overseas on a mission trip! Well it is all coming to pass! I was selected to go on a shoebox distribution trip with Operation Christmas Child this coming May. You can read more about my mission trip here. I can not WAIT to see all these boys and girls and get to experience their joy as many of them will be opening their first brand new gift EVER!! Can you imagine? Never receiving anything new before? Right now I am working so hard to raise my money to go. Plane tickets are OUTRAGEOUS!!

Since I have never been out of the country I never needed a passport before now. I will say, now the whole process is less intimidating. It was just a fear of the unknown I suppose. I guess we fear a lot of things for crazy reasons. Now I can honestly say, I am not afraid of my passport!

This post was written in response to:

4.) A blog post inspired by the word: passport