Whoop, Whoop!

 Finally, after 16 months my passport arrived! OK, in all fairness, I didn't try for 16 straight months but it has been quite the ordeal. When we decided to do the Mexican cruise last January, I knew I might need a passport. That's when the process started. In November 2011, I went to renew mine since my last one was issued in 1989 :(. My last overseas travel was in 1996! Long ago enough that I couldn't just simply renew my old one. Anyway, through the process it was determined that my birth certificate was no longer valid. After 9-11 changes were made and my birth certificate had to be updated with new information. That would have been fine if I had been born here in Fresno. Having been born in Lancaster, PA made it a bit more challenging. It's not like I could just go stand in line outside the court house. My family no longer resides there - so no connections for someone else to go stand in line :). After phone calls, internet attempts and special fees, Paul was able to request the updated birth certificate. No speedy process. By the time it arrived there was not enough time to complete the passport process and receive it in time for the cruise. Fortunately, a few phones calls determined that a passport is not necessary for a cruise leaving the US and returning to the US. . .whew. All I needed was the birth certificate:). So, that went on hold. After plans began for the 20th anniversary trip, I began trying to get my passport again. It seemed every time I went to the post office, the passport office was closed. At first, it was lunch breaks. Then, various offices were closed for a week. After returning again, signs noted the offices were closed indefinitely. Amazing. All post office passport offices are now closed except for the one downtown! Is Fresno a major city, or what?! I was wondering if I was going to have to drive to SF or LA just to get a passport. Or if I'd get to go at all! LOL. That would be quite the anniversary trip:). Fortunately, I was directed to a little office at Fresno State. Quick and painless. Finally - a new passport. When they asked which size I wanted, I went with the optimistic size - the biggest. Hey, maybe I'll travel more these next 10 years! I will certainly renew before the 15 years pass and I have to go through all that again.

Yippee! I get to go too!

Oops, not sure how I managed that!

England/Scottland here we come! We're not going with any particular tour, but we are planning on making it a Reformation Tour. I can't wait to sit in Spurgeon's church, visit the home of John Bunyan, see Martin Lloyd-Jones ministry, Christopher Love, Coxe Feary, John Knox.. .  Sit in the pub where Tolkien and Lewis penned their great works (and JC Rowling :), yep, I'm a Potter fan). Looking forward to walking the fields of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. . .so much history to take in and not much time. Even though I'm not a complete fan of Instagratification, I mean Instagram, this might be one trip to think about it. Hmm. Still need to blog on that.

For now, I'm practicing my English as I look forward to a lovely holiday in the British Isles!