Travel

Yesterday I mailed in my passport for renewal. It expires in a month so it’s effectively useless right now anyway, so it shouldn’t matter. But I feel trapped in a way I didn’t before yesterday. I hate it.

Yep, I know that feeling. I renewed recently. I did not pay for expedited renewal and it took just short of 4 weeks. I was pretty happy with how fast it went.

If you're in the USA, one thing I learned only after renewing is that you can have the passport book renew off-cycle from a passport card. Since passports last 10 years, the ideal way to do it would be to renew your card at the 5 year mark. So when your card is being renewed, you could still travel internationally with your book. When your book is being renewed, you could still travel to Canada and Mexico with your card. After that, just renew each near their 10 year expiry date.

I understand feeling trapped, and I don’t know your specific circumstances, but the likelihood that you’re gonna need some emergency international trip before your passport gets renewed is very slim. You’ll be good, but I get it.

I've been living abroad for 15 years and would be horrified if i was forced to stop traveling and couldn't leave the US. I'd feel very cut off from people, quality healthcare, good diverse food, learning, everything.

I've been building up a more active travel community the past year and travel full time myself, reach out if you ever want any travel advice or information.

Glad to hear you're getting your passport renewed, congrats! You know where you want to go next?

I’m anxious of it getting lost when it’s not in my possession, not necessarily because I feel trapped when I don’t have it. I’m paranoid of it getting lost in the mail, either the old one being sent out or the new being sent to me.

Where are you located, I have never had to send my passport away to get a new one, I just go to the police station and request a new one.

And when I collect my new passport, I hand my old one in.

Simple as that.

I know that if you need an emergency passport you can get one at the airport in 30 or so min.

Had to renew my kids’ like a month into his term (read somewhere couldn’t do it before 9 months out).

Nervous as hell the entire time before they were back in our hands, so I know your fear. FWIW we didn’t expedite and still got them in like 2 weeks with supporting docs a week after.