They say if your passport photo actually looks like you, you should probably go to the doctor. This morning I took some ravishing 2x2 photos at a place near Grand Central. The very nice young man took approximately five photos for me. We both agreed they all looked exactly the same, no matter how many different shots he took. So, I chose the one where I looked the most like Mona Lisa. Can't go wrong looking like that smirky little bitch, right?
I can't wait to see what the final product will look like in my brand spankin' new passport book.
The answer is yes, this is the first time I will own a passport. The only country outside of the U.S. I have visited is Canada. Applying for a passport might have been the most exciting moment of my adult life so far, besides the obvious milestones of turning the legal drinking age, getting arrested for the first time, and having someone other than a family member or friend tell you they love you.
I'm sure I will always remember the day I applied for my first passport because of the guy working at the post office. Little old Korean man. Reminded me of my Papa. That's the important part. He told me that "traveling is wonderful." Maybe not so profound, but the story that accompanied those words were memorable at least. Apparently there were only ten people in this man's college graduating class in Korea. A few months ago, he come across an old photo album in his house and remembered how much he missed his classmates. This is when he looked me in the eye and told me, "Always follow your heart." So somehow he managed to get a hold of all of these people (the details were sketchy; somebody was behind me in line, etc.) and he flew to Korea, where he said each and every one of his classmates met up with each other for the first time in 25 years. The important part being all ten of them came! The way he told his story that was so special to him was what reminded me of Papa the most. Couldn't stop watching his eyes twinkle while he told it---plus the story was peppered with simple advice that I might otherwise consider cliche, except that it was coming from a man who's been around on this Earth for a while. A great feeling of satisfaction, excitement and pride came over me, like it was Papa encouraging me to embark on my travels! He wished me good luck, I bid him a good day, and I smiled all the way to . . . Starbucks.
Applying for passports requires a Starbucks iced coffee. It's just so American.
On my way back to work, I daydreamed about all the possibilities that will emerge after this new passport arrives. Besides my scheduled trip to St. Kitts to visit my best guy friend from high school and his girlfriend, I thought about the trip I want to take with Lisa to Prague and Greece . . . and the long-awaited journey I will take to Italy someday with my mom or Laura.
Then I thought about my coffee that I happened to be enjoying, which leads me to a new segment I am going to call: "In a Perfect World."
IN A PERFECT WORLD . . .
. . . you could sue corporate coffee companies for serving you regular instead of requested decaf
. . . you could take someone you're dating to small claims court for lack of communication, failure to respond to text messages, or failure to relay the message that he/she has decided to cease dating you indefinitely
. . . Freaky Friday experiments would be implemented as punishment for selfish and/or rich people, called the "Forced Karma Law"
. . . you could punch one person in the face without penalty every 3 years
More to come at a later date. Must take my leave. UNT
