Some people love to travel. Others hate the idea of preparing to travel. And there are others of us who just want to make it through the transportation gauntlet. That means now that every one needs a passport because it's the law. (Oh, by the way, Pandemonium was the capital city of Hell in Milton's EM>Paradise Lost. The purpose of travel is to get away from the 'H'-'E'-double hockey stick stresses of life. So say a prayer at the passport office y'all. . . .

Before going further, locate your passport application center office at www.usps.com, click "Locate A Post Office" and then for the option, click "Passport Application Services" to not waste gas showing up when they close or before they open. They will not give an inch if you show up 1 second late after they stop taking applications.

Why? Because IT'S THE FEDS!  Also because their is a program called "World's Dumbest Criminals" it is strongly suggested that if you find your picture is posted on their "wanted" list you may not want to get your passport photo processed at that particular time. The word "reward" under said photo will have nothing to do with a medal of honor or some key to the city, unless it's the key to the city jail.
Now, on to the passport lesson...

Recent passport policies seem to be changing like Indiana weather. (And if you've ever lived in my home state for any period of time, you know exactly where I'm coming from.)

But whether we are coming or going, travel affects us all. We anticipate not having challenges but you know, between the Federal Government and international embassy protocol....when it comes to passports and visas, we gotta pay the piper.

Since the only people (so far) who don't need passports are the unborn and the dead, we need to study to show ourselves approved to move from point A to point B, and C,D,Etc Etc if we want to emulate Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman's movie about bucket trips!

The US State Department at least gives us a choice. Passport book, or passport card.

The Passport Book offers more flexibility for international globe hoping. Passport cards are for those who choose to limit their options to land and sea.  

One thing for sure....KNOW YOUR FAMILY INFORMATION. Know your parents' (legal guardians)  FULL names, birthdates and birth years, city (at least the state) fo birth regardless if they are alive or not. If you don't have a name of an emergency contact with all of their contact information.

Note: With emergency contacts it's good to have more than one contact in mind in case someone gets their phone number changed or disconnected, changes residences,  or (in the wildest cases) has a sex change operation but those things usually have tell-tale signs over a period of time--like someone's Uncle Joe always having an attraction for trying on pantyhose, Mary Kay and cheap dollar store lipstick--12 sticks to a case. 

If you don't have the proper sized color photos that are not recent (meaning at least 6 months old) and an original of your birth certificate and other required identity information you might feel as if it's impossible to see beyond your own back yard. None of those strip mall instant snap shots with the person whose face you cut out of the picture on that "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" experience that you might want to cut straight down the middle.

Any department store or pharmacy of the same name beginning with the letter "W" offer the photo service, and if it's a passport needed for your business (i.e. travel professional or business consultant or motivational speaker for instance) the cost of your passport can even be tax deductible. And at $100 for a passport per person for form DS-11 that's a great write off for next year's 2008 returns if you can prove it's directly related and necessary to your business.

As for myself and our travel associates we advise clients, family and friends to plan early!!! Don't wait until you think you may want to take a cruise, book it for the next month and expect your passport to show up without paying out more big bucks.

If someoone plans to do a cruise this fall or beyond, give yourself at least 6 months to be on the safe side.

Express passports are available with 24 hr processing if people are willing to go through a little more inconvenience.

Click here and scroll until you see the flying saucer to find helpful details and links to what we all should know about passports, and share this with everyone you know. It's bad enough to deal with traffic jams, flight delays and being grounded in an airport terminal when the 24- hour deodorant starts to expire and there's no where to escape.
    
To take your chances on speaking to a real human being, call the National Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778. 
  

As for getting to the post office or court house too soon or too late, find your office here anywhere in the USA

http://www.passportinfo.com/pplocal.htm

blessin's,
cynth'ya your friend in the authors den, your crta & your CLIA girl!  (realistic travel affiliate and cruise line international associate--www.cruising.org)