Today is 12-12-12. I think that is so neat. Today is the day of twelve. To celebrate the otherwise meaningless grouping of the number 12, I wanted to post a blog entry.
Slightly after noon, around 12:12pm *wink wink*, I decided to look at some of my old journals. My parents travel a lot and one of the most amazing things they did was take my brothers and I along with them. Before I was 18 years old, I had a lifetime of memories from exotic places, experiences that I take with me to this day. Having an affinity for writing from a young age, I kept a journal for each trip they took us on.
Looking through the journals, I ran across one from our first trip to Egypt. I'm sure you're noticing that I said 'first trip.' That's a very interesting thing, actually. When we went to Egypt that first time, we thought we would never be back. Then a trip to the Mediterranean took us there again and a trip over Africa took us there yet again. All said and done, my parents have been to Egypt 6 times, with me in tow for 3 of those 6. It seems to be a hub for numerous tours throughout that region, each tour assuming no one on the tour has ever been to Egypt. So, they all go there.
I focused on the first Egypt journal, because it was 21 years ago, nearly exactly. We left on Christmas Day 1991. Since today is 12-12-12 and 21 is the inverse of 12 and the fact that it was during Christmas (note: Christmas Eve is 12 days away), I thought it would be appropriate to take out an excerpt for this 12-12-12 blog entry.
Being only 14, I was a typical teenager. Much of the journal is me talking about my new Game Boy I got for Christmas and how far along I was getting on this game and that one (Navy Seals and Tetris seemed to be my favorite). I paused for a moment as I read about how we went through New York City first and went to the World Trade Center. One of my brothers and I sat on the floor in the Trade Center lobby as we waited to get on an elevator to go to the top. I remember the World Trade Center, especially the view from the top, but I didn't remember about playing the Game Boy. I was playing Navy Seals and commented about how I beat the game and rescued the hostages. Never in a gazillion years could we have known that the World Trade Center would one day be gone.
After a few more moments of pause, I went on to the Egypt part of the trip. I was not very good at describing things back then, but there was one event that I had forgotten about that once I read it in the journal, I can picture it very well in my memory.
Egypt was having the coldest weather they'd had in over 40 years. We were at the pyramids and the wind was cutting through our clothes. Despite the cold, we were mesmerized by the different culture, the desert, and the pyramids themselves. There were numerous camel jockeys around, all of them trying to get us to ride their camels. To a 14 year old, the draw was almost too much to bear. Riding a camel suddenly sounded like the best idea anyone had ever suggested in my entire life. There is more to this story, but I will stick with my experience in order to keep this entry manageable. I thought I'd be writing something short, but it's turning into a novelette, lol.
As it turned out, riding a camel was a part of the tour. Oh my gosh, the excitement. Everyone got on their camels and off they went. My older brother, Kish, who was 18 at the time, and I were the only ones left.
As we approached the camel, it suddenly got taller, very tall, might as well have been as tall as a building, and it wasn't even on its feet yet. It made this throaty, guttural noise at us and Kish took a step back. At 18, I guess he was a little more aware of his immortality than I was. Being 14 and ready to conquer the world, I jumped right up on the camel's back. It didn't really seem so tall anymore and didn't make a fuss, so my brother prepared to climb on as well.
As soon as Kish started climbing up on the camel's back, the camel jumped straight up, throwing both of us off. The camel jockey caught me and shoved me back up onto the camel's back. Kish, however, was thrown into a complete front flip and landed on his back. As he laid, stunned, on the ground, I realized that one of my shoes fell off.
So, there we were in the middle of the desert with the pyramids in the background as our group got further away, Kish lying on the ground with the wind knocked out of him, and me on top of this insanely tall camel, my head somewhere near orbit, looking for my lost shoe. Next thing I know, the camel goes down on his front knees, nearly knocking me off again.
As soon as I was close to the ground again, I tried to jump off. The camel jockey, however, grabbed a hold of me and wouldn't let me off the camel. The excitement of riding a camel was completely gone. All I wanted was to get off, trying to do just that as the jockey tried to talk my brother into getting back on. Kish wasn't about to try again, comically shaking his head at the jockey as the jockey tried to coax him to just get on the camel, that it wouldn't do that again. Kish, of course, didn't believe him.
Meanwhile, our group has completely left us. We realized this was the only way to get back to them, so we cooperated, but we were pretty scared. Somewhere in my struggle to get off and the convincing of my brother to get back on, my shoe was handed to me.
Things finally settled down and we found ourselves sitting safely on top of a walking camel and then suddenly realized that it was going in the opposite direction as our group. We started trying to tell the jockey, but he didn't seem to understand us. Then, something happened where the man left and a kid about ten years old started guiding our camel. He understood English better and turned the camel in the right direction.
As we were walking, he asked, "Want to trot?"
"La la la," I said immediately, which means, "No no no," in Arabic.
The kid then said something back and took off towards the direction the group went. That's not a trot, I thought to myself, that's a run. The camel, apparently not one wanting to be left behind, took off after him.
Now, it is hard to describe what being on a galloping camel is like. You think you will fall off with each step as you wonder if it would really matter because your spine has been so jarred and compressed that surely you'd be paralyzed before you fall off anyway. To top it off, there were numerous large rocks around that the camel didn't seem to notice or care about. I was sure he would trip on one and we'd go flying.
I didn't think about it at the time, but we were so far behind we couldn't even see our group. The kid was only trying to catch up. But, while it was happening, I was wondering what we did to the kid to deserve such torture.
Finally catching up with our group, the camel had barely come to a stop before the kid said, "Lean back, lean back." Before I could understand what he meant by that, the camel suddenly dropped to his front knees. I fell forward and Kish grabbed me before I fell face first over the camel's neck.
We finally got off of it safely and the allure of riding a camel was completely gone until 2005, when we went to Petra. I think by then that I had forgotten about my first camel experience.
But that is another story...
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Friday, March 9, 2012
Where's Ironhide? 2010 & 2011
This is just for fun. Enjoy!
In 2010, my husband and I moved to Washington, DC. We took a bus trip to New York that November. Of course I had to take Ironhide along.
Then, in the winter of 2011, it snowed in DC, unlike this year. I am disappointed at the lack of snow this year. But, I had a lot of fun with it last year!
Times Square, New York City, NY
US Capitol Building, Washington, DC
US Capitol Building, Washington, DC
In 2010, my husband and I moved to Washington, DC. We took a bus trip to New York that November. Of course I had to take Ironhide along.
Then, in the winter of 2011, it snowed in DC, unlike this year. I am disappointed at the lack of snow this year. But, I had a lot of fun with it last year!
Times Square, New York City, NY
US Capitol Building, Washington, DC
US Capitol Building, Washington, DC
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Where's Ironhide? 2009
Ironhide's travels in 2009. The first photo is my absolute favorite. I have a lot of fun making it look like this toy is actually there. Well, it is actually there...
Lifelike is the word I'm looking for. I have a lot of fun making the toy look lifelike, like he's really standing there, enjoying these sites and posing for some photos.
Atlantis, Bahamas
Parliament Square, Nassau, Bahamas
Key West, Florida
Fort Jefferson, Dry Tortugas
Walt Disney World, Epcot, Orlando, FL
Lifelike is the word I'm looking for. I have a lot of fun making the toy look lifelike, like he's really standing there, enjoying these sites and posing for some photos.
Atlantis, Bahamas
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Passport Renewal Made Easy Part II
Did you all know that there is a limit to a blog post? I didn't know that until I tried posting my 'Passport Renewal Made Easy' post. It ended at STEP 2 when I tried to post it. So, 'Passport Renewal Made Easy' will have to be in two parts. I'll go ahead and start with STEP 1 again just so all the steps are in one place.
So, here's the rest of the post. This is continued from http://kyndrahatch.blogspot.com/2012/02/passport-renewal-made-easy_07.html :
STEP 1: For a passport renewal, you need to fill out form DS-82 . You can find the form here: http://travel.state.gov/passport/forms/ds82/ds82_843.html
STEP 2: You have to send in your current passport (even if it is expired). If it is expired, it has to have been issued when you were 16 years old or older. It has to have been issued within the last 15 years. It has to be your current name, or a name that you can legally show you changed (like if you got married, include your marriage certificate).
If none of the above applies to you, then you cannot use form DS-82. This blog entry will not help you. Go to this link for more information on how to proceed (or see the links below to see if any of them will help you): http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/first/first_830.html
If the above does apply to you, proceed to step three.
STEP 3: Print form DS-82 and fill it out. DON'T FORGET TO SIGN AND DATE IT ON PAGE 1.
STEP 4: Staple your passport photo to the area indicated on the form. The passport photo requirements are outlined very well here: http://travel.state.gov/passport/pptphotoreq/pptphotoreq_5333.html
When you staple your photo, staple it just like this: http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/first/first_4426.html
STEP 5: Get a check or money order ready. These are the fees http://travel.state.gov/passport/fees/fees_837.html:
Choose one of the following options (Remember: this is for a renewal, not a first time applicant):
a. Adult Passport Book and Card: $140
b. Adult Passport Book only: $110
c. Adult Passport Card only (if you already have a book): $30
Consider both of the following options in addition:
a. Expedited Service: $60
b. Overnight Delivery: $12.72
In my case, I only needed a book. I don't know the benefit of a card yet, especially since you can just use the book for every border you cross.
So, in my case, I started with $110.
If you don't mind waiting about 6 weeks for your renewed passport, you can just send in the $110 with the application.
However, I added $60 for the Expedited Service. They say that it would be 2 to 3 weeks with this service, but mine only took a total of 7 days.
Add another $12.72 for overnight delivery. If I didn't add this in, I probably would have gotten the passport in 10 or 12 days.
Do not request these services on any extra papers. By writing a check for $182.72 (which is the total of $110 + $60 + $12.72) you are requesting these services already. Try to quell any obsessive/compulsive behavior; this is how you request these things, trust me (and I'm as obsessive/compulsive as they get).
STEP 6: Get a Document Mailer envelope. The website recommends Tyvek, but I got a USPS Express Mail document mailer envelope at the Post Office. DO NOT SEND IN A REGULAR LETTER-SIZED ENVELOPE.
STEP 7: Place old passport, form DS-82, check or money order for total (my case was $182.72), and extra passport photo (you get two when you get them at a pharmacy like Walgreens) in the envelope and seal it. Just place these all in there losely. Do not staple or paperclip anything together. The only stapling you'll be doing is what is required in STEP 4.
STEP 8: Write the word 'EXPEDITE' in large letters above the area where you put the address: http://travel.state.gov/passport/hurry/hurry_831.html
STEP 9: Fill out a USPS Express Mail address form that the postman will stick to the envelope (can be found at the post office). I am definitely saying you should use the US Post Office. Passport is Government and USPS is Government, so might as well keep it all Government. It must be Express Mail. I did Express Mail when sending my passport and paid the $12.72 for them to Express Mail it back to me. I think that was key to getting my passport in only 7 days. http://travel.state.gov/passport/forms/forms_4553.html
Address the envelope to (This is for the Expedited Service):
National Passport Processing Center
Post Office Box 90955
Philadelphia, PA 19190-0955
http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/first/first_4426.html
STEP 10: Your passport should be back to you shortly! You can look at current processing times here:
http://travel.state.gov/passport/processing/processing_1740.html
The Expedited Service time said 2-3 weeks when I sent in my form and passport, but it only took 7 days door-to-door!
----
If you need your passport in less than 14 days, go here for more information:
http://travel.state.gov/passport/npic/schedule/schedule_852.html
If you are trying to get a passport for the first time, go here for more information:
http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/first/first_830.html
If you are looking for a Regional Passport Agency near you, go here:
http://travel.state.gov/passport/npic/agencies/agencies_913.html
If you need to add pages to your current passport, go here for more information:
http://travel.state.gov/passport/correcting/add/add_850.html
If you are looking to get your passport in a hurry, I'd say there is a risk involved with all options to get a passport. I'm sure there are some couriers that can get your passport to you in the time they say they will. If you're willing to pay the extra fees and need your passport RIGHT NOW, then I'd say go for it. Unfortunately, I don't know who to recommend since I have no experience with them.
In the end, it's best we all check our passport expiration dates periodically to make sure we don't get ourselves into a situation where we need a passport in a hurry to begin with. I know my husband and I learned our lesson!
Good luck and happy traveling!
So, here's the rest of the post. This is continued from http://kyndrahatch.blogspot.com/2012/02/passport-renewal-made-easy_07.html :
STEP 1: For a passport renewal, you need to fill out form DS-82 . You can find the form here: http://travel.state.gov/passport/forms/ds82/ds82_843.html
STEP 2: You have to send in your current passport (even if it is expired). If it is expired, it has to have been issued when you were 16 years old or older. It has to have been issued within the last 15 years. It has to be your current name, or a name that you can legally show you changed (like if you got married, include your marriage certificate).
If none of the above applies to you, then you cannot use form DS-82. This blog entry will not help you. Go to this link for more information on how to proceed (or see the links below to see if any of them will help you): http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/first/first_830.html
If the above does apply to you, proceed to step three.
STEP 3: Print form DS-82 and fill it out. DON'T FORGET TO SIGN AND DATE IT ON PAGE 1.
STEP 4: Staple your passport photo to the area indicated on the form. The passport photo requirements are outlined very well here: http://travel.state.gov/passport/pptphotoreq/pptphotoreq_5333.html
When you staple your photo, staple it just like this: http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/first/first_4426.html
STEP 5: Get a check or money order ready. These are the fees http://travel.state.gov/passport/fees/fees_837.html:
Choose one of the following options (Remember: this is for a renewal, not a first time applicant):
a. Adult Passport Book and Card: $140
b. Adult Passport Book only: $110
c. Adult Passport Card only (if you already have a book): $30
Consider both of the following options in addition:
a. Expedited Service: $60
b. Overnight Delivery: $12.72
In my case, I only needed a book. I don't know the benefit of a card yet, especially since you can just use the book for every border you cross.
So, in my case, I started with $110.
If you don't mind waiting about 6 weeks for your renewed passport, you can just send in the $110 with the application.
However, I added $60 for the Expedited Service. They say that it would be 2 to 3 weeks with this service, but mine only took a total of 7 days.
Add another $12.72 for overnight delivery. If I didn't add this in, I probably would have gotten the passport in 10 or 12 days.
Do not request these services on any extra papers. By writing a check for $182.72 (which is the total of $110 + $60 + $12.72) you are requesting these services already. Try to quell any obsessive/compulsive behavior; this is how you request these things, trust me (and I'm as obsessive/compulsive as they get).
STEP 6: Get a Document Mailer envelope. The website recommends Tyvek, but I got a USPS Express Mail document mailer envelope at the Post Office. DO NOT SEND IN A REGULAR LETTER-SIZED ENVELOPE.
STEP 7: Place old passport, form DS-82, check or money order for total (my case was $182.72), and extra passport photo (you get two when you get them at a pharmacy like Walgreens) in the envelope and seal it. Just place these all in there losely. Do not staple or paperclip anything together. The only stapling you'll be doing is what is required in STEP 4.
STEP 8: Write the word 'EXPEDITE' in large letters above the area where you put the address: http://travel.state.gov/passport/hurry/hurry_831.html
STEP 9: Fill out a USPS Express Mail address form that the postman will stick to the envelope (can be found at the post office). I am definitely saying you should use the US Post Office. Passport is Government and USPS is Government, so might as well keep it all Government. It must be Express Mail. I did Express Mail when sending my passport and paid the $12.72 for them to Express Mail it back to me. I think that was key to getting my passport in only 7 days. http://travel.state.gov/passport/forms/forms_4553.html
Address the envelope to (This is for the Expedited Service):
National Passport Processing Center
Post Office Box 90955
Philadelphia, PA 19190-0955
http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/first/first_4426.html
STEP 10: Your passport should be back to you shortly! You can look at current processing times here:
http://travel.state.gov/passport/processing/processing_1740.html
The Expedited Service time said 2-3 weeks when I sent in my form and passport, but it only took 7 days door-to-door!
----
If you need your passport in less than 14 days, go here for more information:
http://travel.state.gov/passport/npic/schedule/schedule_852.html
If you are trying to get a passport for the first time, go here for more information:
http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/first/first_830.html
If you are looking for a Regional Passport Agency near you, go here:
http://travel.state.gov/passport/npic/agencies/agencies_913.html
If you need to add pages to your current passport, go here for more information:
http://travel.state.gov/passport/correcting/add/add_850.html
If you are looking to get your passport in a hurry, I'd say there is a risk involved with all options to get a passport. I'm sure there are some couriers that can get your passport to you in the time they say they will. If you're willing to pay the extra fees and need your passport RIGHT NOW, then I'd say go for it. Unfortunately, I don't know who to recommend since I have no experience with them.
In the end, it's best we all check our passport expiration dates periodically to make sure we don't get ourselves into a situation where we need a passport in a hurry to begin with. I know my husband and I learned our lesson!
Good luck and happy traveling!
Passport Renewal Made Easy Part I
I sent an expired passport in the mail Thursday, Jan. 29th with the hopes that maybe I'd get it back in 3 or 4 weeks. Now, this was a big maybe and a huge hope. Exactly one week later, however, and I mean only 7 mere days, I got a knock at the door. It was the mailman with a document envelope.
On the envelope, there was a request to waive the signature. I knew immediately that it had to due with the passport. However, my next thought was that they needed me to send something to them giving them permission to waive some sort of signature.
I opened the package with dread in my heart, thinking that now I'd have to wait yet another week for this passport. I looked in the envelope and, lo and behold, that passport was in there!
I thought for sure it was some sort of trick, a fake, a promise that the passport is coming and that they're showing me that this is what it's going to look like when it gets to me...Something like that that wouldn't really make much sense, but my active imagination was convincing me it had to be something other than the real thing.
No, it was the real thing! Oh, happy day!
I want to spread this good news to anyone who needs a passport renewal right away. It was so easy to do and I didn't have to use a courier.
Let me give a little bit of a background on how I came to learn to do this:
My husband and I are planning a trip in April for our 10 year Anniversary. As usual, we waited until the last minute. Despite that, everything was going along smoothly in the planning until we discovered that his passport had expired in January. Our travel agent suggested we not book the trip until we get the passport renewed. Since the trip is so soon, there was a possibility of it selling out.
So, I near-frantically started researching how to get the passport renewed in a hurry. The last thing I wanted to happen was to find that we waited too late to book and then completely missed the trip due to an expired passport.
I looked at using a courier. Some promise to get you a passport in 24 hours, or some such insanely fast timeframe. However, you pay dearly for this service...upwards of 200 more dollars for your passport, in addition to the passport fees. Those fees are already very high. Tacking 200 more dollars on something that's already 110 dollars is a reason to give me pause.
Not only that, but I started looking at reviews for said couriers and found that the 200 dollars isn't even refundable in a lot of cases. So, if you don't get your passport in the promised time, you can't get your money back.
That's just too much of a risk for me. It was actually an unacceptable risk, especially when I read in some reviews that people were still waiting after two week's time when promised a passport in 24 hours, after paying all that extra money! There were counter-reviews saying that you have to follow the directions of these couriers to the letter in order for it to work in the first place. One misplaced staple and you could be hosed. At those ends, I figured I might as well just send in the passport myself.
We called the nearest passport agency in our area and tried to make an appointment. That was when we found out that you cannot get a passport renewed in person at an agency unless you need your passport in 14 days. We don't need our passport until April, so we were out for an in-person renewal.
I thought about the courier again, afraid that if I didn't get some kind of help with this that we'd lose the booking for our trip and wouldn't be able to go.
I then found a website that looked promising: http://travel.state.gov/
And found this very helpful page: http://www.travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html
This website has it all! Step by step instructions for getting a passport, renewing a passport, getting extra pages in an existing passport, visas...everything you'd ever want to know about how to get yourself a passport, a visa, or even a passport card. There is way more useful info than I can write about in this one post. Since we are only talking about passport renewals, let's get to it! (I have included some links below for anyone that may stumble across this post that is looking to get a passport for the first time.)
It took me awhile to go back and forth between all the links and instructions in the website. There is one thing this website is, and that is thorough. I'm going to include step by step instructions along with the links so you can reference where it's all coming from. This way, you won't have to go through all the trial and error research through the site like I had to do. You need your renewal in a hurry, right? No time to learn to navigate a website at a time like this!
STEP 1: For a passport renewal, you need to fill out form DS-82 . You can find the form here: http://travel.state.gov/passport/forms/ds82/ds82_843.html
(This blog post cut me off right at this point. Part II of "Passport Renewal Made Easy" can be found here: http://kyndrahatch.blogspot.com/2012/02/passport-renewal-made-easy-part-ii.html)
On the envelope, there was a request to waive the signature. I knew immediately that it had to due with the passport. However, my next thought was that they needed me to send something to them giving them permission to waive some sort of signature.
I opened the package with dread in my heart, thinking that now I'd have to wait yet another week for this passport. I looked in the envelope and, lo and behold, that passport was in there!
I thought for sure it was some sort of trick, a fake, a promise that the passport is coming and that they're showing me that this is what it's going to look like when it gets to me...Something like that that wouldn't really make much sense, but my active imagination was convincing me it had to be something other than the real thing.
No, it was the real thing! Oh, happy day!
I want to spread this good news to anyone who needs a passport renewal right away. It was so easy to do and I didn't have to use a courier.
Let me give a little bit of a background on how I came to learn to do this:
My husband and I are planning a trip in April for our 10 year Anniversary. As usual, we waited until the last minute. Despite that, everything was going along smoothly in the planning until we discovered that his passport had expired in January. Our travel agent suggested we not book the trip until we get the passport renewed. Since the trip is so soon, there was a possibility of it selling out.
So, I near-frantically started researching how to get the passport renewed in a hurry. The last thing I wanted to happen was to find that we waited too late to book and then completely missed the trip due to an expired passport.
I looked at using a courier. Some promise to get you a passport in 24 hours, or some such insanely fast timeframe. However, you pay dearly for this service...upwards of 200 more dollars for your passport, in addition to the passport fees. Those fees are already very high. Tacking 200 more dollars on something that's already 110 dollars is a reason to give me pause.
Not only that, but I started looking at reviews for said couriers and found that the 200 dollars isn't even refundable in a lot of cases. So, if you don't get your passport in the promised time, you can't get your money back.
That's just too much of a risk for me. It was actually an unacceptable risk, especially when I read in some reviews that people were still waiting after two week's time when promised a passport in 24 hours, after paying all that extra money! There were counter-reviews saying that you have to follow the directions of these couriers to the letter in order for it to work in the first place. One misplaced staple and you could be hosed. At those ends, I figured I might as well just send in the passport myself.
We called the nearest passport agency in our area and tried to make an appointment. That was when we found out that you cannot get a passport renewed in person at an agency unless you need your passport in 14 days. We don't need our passport until April, so we were out for an in-person renewal.
I thought about the courier again, afraid that if I didn't get some kind of help with this that we'd lose the booking for our trip and wouldn't be able to go.
I then found a website that looked promising: http://travel.state.gov/
And found this very helpful page: http://www.travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html
This website has it all! Step by step instructions for getting a passport, renewing a passport, getting extra pages in an existing passport, visas...everything you'd ever want to know about how to get yourself a passport, a visa, or even a passport card. There is way more useful info than I can write about in this one post. Since we are only talking about passport renewals, let's get to it! (I have included some links below for anyone that may stumble across this post that is looking to get a passport for the first time.)
It took me awhile to go back and forth between all the links and instructions in the website. There is one thing this website is, and that is thorough. I'm going to include step by step instructions along with the links so you can reference where it's all coming from. This way, you won't have to go through all the trial and error research through the site like I had to do. You need your renewal in a hurry, right? No time to learn to navigate a website at a time like this!
STEP 1: For a passport renewal, you need to fill out form DS-82 . You can find the form here: http://travel.state.gov/passport/forms/ds82/ds82_843.html
(This blog post cut me off right at this point. Part II of "Passport Renewal Made Easy" can be found here: http://kyndrahatch.blogspot.com/2012/02/passport-renewal-made-easy-part-ii.html)
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