Logbook: My New Passport

The arrival of my new passport seemed as good a time as any to begin the “Logbook” -- a simple “running log” of the Voyage. Here is where you will find a routine summary of day-to-day activities -- the ordinary “stuff” of life on the road. No profound thoughts -- I’ll put them in “Musings” -- and no major rants. Just the facts on where I go, what I do, who I meet, etc. It’s primarily aimed at creating and preserving a straightforward record of events, but I will endeavor to keep it from being boring! All sorts of little gems may find their way into the Logbook, so be sure to check it out from time to time... Now, about my new passport. It is blue with the usual gold imprint on the cover, of course, and quite ordinary in every way except one: It has 48 pages instead of the usual 24 (see photo above). This is by design -- because I expect it to get a lot of stamping action -- and, believe it or not, all I had to do was ask! So, the next time you renew your passport, I recommend you include a note that simply requests “extra pages.” It’s also a good idea to include a request for the return of your old passport just to make sure you get it back. If you are anything like me, you hate being without your passport, so putting a “rush” on your renewal is easily worth the extra $60 fee. Finally, there remains a lot of uncertainty about whether or not the State Department is ever actually going to include RFID chips in new passports. My bet is that they eventually will, so if for any reason you don’t want that little bit of “electronic security” in your life it might make sense to renew your passport sooner rather than later.