One major New Year’s Resolution done! It’s only been something I have been putting off for well over a decade and then some. Shortly after I got married in 2003, we went through all the hassle of getting passports. Then I never used mine…ever! Then I let the matter sit and sit and sit. Throw in being hounded by my friends living in Europe and relatives in the Middle East. Before we divorced, Somara did utilize a new one to see those same people. Must’ve been exhausting to fly so many thousands of miles, makes Las Vegas a joke.
For 2023 I put getting this done on my short list and thanks to the wonderful staff at the UT International Center, recommended by Jeremy, it was a great experience.
Let me dial back to the recent beginning. I went to the (US) State Department’s site to get the form, awesome; however, it’s little-to-no help if you have questions. I called the 800 number, ha! Everything throws you back to the same Web page. My friend Kathy, another frequent traveller at work, proofed the form and I’m glad she didn’t roll her eyes as if I were a helpless kid (I did feel like one). Jeremy gave me the link to UT’s spot, Phew! The site again was no help on setting up an appointment via the USPS. I read UT’s page several times and decided to take yesterday, go for it. Especially when they said they were only going to take fifty applications, maybe prepping for the three-day MLK weekend? I rushed to Walgreen’s Thursday night for the photo. Another stroke of luck, the one near my house is the only one of three in Pflugerville to do passport photos; we have three Walgreens was the bigger shock. Checkbook and birth certificate located. I was set to get up early, beat the crowd. Besides, once Jennifer wakes up around 5:30 AM, I can’t easily go back to sleep.
The Austin morning rush hour traffic was lighter than I expected, only one fender-bender right before the upper/lower deck! Right as I spotted the closest parking garage at 2400 Neuces Street, I knew I found the place because there was already a line around 6:45 AM. Crap! Crap! I hauled ass, got in queue and immediately started counting heads. Once I figured I was in the upper twenties, I sighed relief. I used a whole day off and I didn’t want to waste it. A very nice lady and her son were behind me. We had great conversations. It was wonderful to meet a fellow Gen Xer who saw Star Wars in 1977, in a theater and I wish I thanked her for sharing her experience.
I want to highlight how professional, skilled and prepared the UT staff was. Thirty minutes before opening, someone had a clipboard to count how many were applying. Then against all odds, they opened early! NOTHING in America runs ahead of schedule if it’s important so suck it “Free Enterprise” flaks. Good to be out of the uncharacteristically cold weather. Someone let us know where the cut off was and the plan; they’d review everyone’s stuff, send them away and page them when it was their turn to follow through. Also, if there were errors, you’d get a chance to fix them before the final setup. Good for me! I got my mom’s official first name wrong (didn’t matter) and my first passport is missing. Neither were deal breakers. I was set, told to expect a three-hour wait. Many here would still go, ugh! Not me. I was stoked because there’s an Einstein’s Bagels two blocks away and I was starving for lox.
After having breakfast, I took in the Drag and the UT campus. See what’s changed again for it’s the only constant. Bought these awesome Italian vocabulary flash cards from the UT Co-OP, it feels smaller than when I used to hang in the Nineties. No dice on a Italian 101 text book, I guess Texas doesn’t see the importance of the language for Art History. Tried to get my coins counted at the UFCU branch, it was busted. Wandered north to scope out the new facilities UT’s Communication College moved to years ago, namely their two radio stations which like most university-based ones, students need not apply despite having a broadcasting-degree track. Glad to see they had a podcasting lab. Good luck to future applicants who aren’t trust-fund babies (Megan McCain, Anderson Cooper) or legacies (Chris Wallace, Martha Quinn) getting a living-wage position in journalism; the lack of people who didn’t come from these ranks are why our “democracy” is a sick joke. The student union had the biggest shocks. The most-profitable Wendy’s in America was gone and the place where you could get photocopies was now an eSports (right there with cornhole being a sport) hangout. Another round of Einstein’s hoping my iPhone’s battery would make it but half-way through eating, I got the page! Fortunately, I returned to the same dude who made sure I was set. We were done easily within 30 minutes, the site to watch my passport’s progression and a card to write the boss how awesome they all were!
Where am I going though? No idea yet. I didn’t pay to have it expedited. Again, I want to have it ready for the next decade. Odds favor the Netherlands to catch up with Penny and Benny before they’re married to their respective spouses! Discussed a cruise with Hoser. The lady I met earlier said a full passport is wise in case you need to fly home in an hurry from the Caribbean places. It’s practically too late to see all my nephews in Qatar, two are in college…in the Netherlands! I’ve been badgered forever by Sonia over in Switzerland. I joked with Jennifer about landed a couple job offers also, she said her response would be divorce. Fear not, we’re only ghetto married and I want her around. Italy is on my short list, namely Genoa where my Italian ancestors (great grandparents) emigrated from and we’ll see how helpful Duolingo, and the flashcards were.
Thanks again to the UT staff for getting my weekend off to a fantastic start! I only hope friends outside of Austin have some facility as impressive. Don’t get me wrong. I love the US Postal Service. I think they need to delegate this to another division or create a more dedicated one given how much more onerous the process became thanks to NeoCon and NeoLiberal foreign policy.