Flashes of Panic

Mindful of many warnings that it would take a long time to get my passport renewed, I followed these instructions for printing my own passport photo and sent in my application on November 7. Because my old passport was issued less than twelve years ago (I think that’s the interval) I was able to print a form and send form, photos, and the old passport by mail rather than having to do anything in person.

I was expecting the process to take a few months, but the new passport arrived today, just over two weeks later. The photo is a little dark, making me suspect that my home-printed version doesn’t handle the heat of sealing to paper as well as a “real” photo might have, but it looks like me and the passport office was OK with it, so I’m not complaining.

The accompanying flyer (and a little symbol on the front cover) explain that I do have one of the new RFID-equipped passports, so now I have to consider how paranoid to be about that. (When I search for “RFID passport”, the entire first page of results are from sites panning the technology.)

This will be my third passport. The second came back in the same envelope, with two holes in the front cover and a “cancelled” stamp on the first page, where my signature is. I’ll stow it in the same box as my first, once I can find that.

Update: Found the first passport and stowed the second with it. First was issued in 1990, good for five years, and picked up some nifty stamps but nowhere near the quantity over ten years of the second. However, it was stuffed with cash: early-90s Polish bills, some mid-90s rubles (both probably valueless by now) and a Bermudian $2 bill. Also, three 35mm film canisters (remember film canisters? Remember film?) loaded with coins, which I didn’t go through. I need to add some yen and euros which are currently kicking around in Somerville.

Now Playing: Two Princes from Pocket Full of Kryptonite by Spin Doctors

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