When I booked this upcoming trip to Vietnam, I gave no thought to my passport at all. I mean, they’re valid for ten years, you just kind of forget about an expiry date. But I eventually checked and to my dismay, it expires on 6 March. I fly back home from Vietnam on 7 March. Annoying. And not just annoying but expensive too. Especially because I left it until three weeks before our departure date before I got around to having it renewed and therefore, had to pay the extra fee for speedy delivery. Serves me right, ya.
I love my passport. I love thumbing the pages, looking at the stamps from different airports around Europe, seeing the date and feeling mild surprise at just how long ago it was. I love seeing the working visas: one fancy-looking UK visa and one Irish visa, handwritten in a hurried scrawl. My favourite is the entry visa for Egypt. It takes up the whole page and the stamp was so wet with excess ink that the facing page has mirror image stamps on it.
This new passport has an entry visa for Vietnam to grace its pages first. Immigration dudes had better stamp it too, if they know what’s good for them. Over the next ten years, I hope the pages are full with stamps from airports from all over the world.
And sidebar, in ten years' time, I’ll be forty-two. Holy fuck.
i love flicking through my passport too! i hate the idea of it expiring in a couple of years to only be replaced by blank pages.
ReplyDeletelachlan just got his new one today and you're right, they are indeed pricey. in fact, i'm pretty sure the price has TRIPLED since i got mine in 2005. they are using a lot more colour though you'll be happy to know. lots of native flora and fauna on every page!
Dude, you have travelled A LOT.
ReplyDeleteMy passport has no stamps in, as I've only ever been to other places in Europe.
MUST GO TO ANOTHER CONTINENT.
I love how full of stanps yours is. I only have them for Canada and the US as I mostly only travel within Europe. Your passport is very cool!
ReplyDeleteI get a new passport soon though, and I worry it will stay blank for a loooooooooooong time!
I don't even own a passport. I've never been anywhere that requires one. However, the hubs and I do plan on going to Ireland one of these days.
ReplyDeletei'm sad to say that not only has my passport long expired, i have no idea where it is. goodbye stamps of italy and ireland and such. so sad!
ReplyDeleteI love my passport too. You are quite the traveler :)
ReplyDeleteThis is so exciting! :) A new passport is a new opportunity for more fun adventures! :)
ReplyDeleteVietnam! So exciting for you. I have a couple of friends who just went there and absolutely loved it! Make sure to go to their garment district and have some dresses and coats made. They are so cheap over there.
ReplyDeleteI am the same way! It is my favorite thing to look through my passport at all the adventures I've taken. Love the memories.
ReplyDeleteI love the picture of all the stamps on that one page. I love flipping through my passport and thinking of the next place I want to go to!
ReplyDeleteNice! My passport looks the same. I'd love to go to Vietnam though. My husband and I might make it to Malaysia this summer. Glad I came across your blog. P.S. I got the same swollen foot two years in a row! Sucks to say the least!
ReplyDeleteVietnam, hmm that's impressive. I would love to go there too. I always ask for stamps too, even though now they have all in computers :)
ReplyDeletexxo
so cool!!!
ReplyDeletexoxo from rome
K.
kcomekarolina.com
your passport?! is now my new goal. amazing.
ReplyDeletelove to look at my passport and all the stamps as well :) and holy fuck, I will be 41 in ten years time :)
ReplyDeleteit is sad when a passport is retired, but like you say ten years to fill the new one!!!
ReplyDeleteTravel safe have too much fun xox