I first got a passport back in 1985 to visit John N. who was stationed in a US Army base in West Germany. After that momentous, and too abruptly cut short trip I actually never got around to using my passport again. Sad really because I remember I had vowed, once I got my passport, that this one European trip, funded for the most part by my inheritance from my Grandmother Rita, would be the first of many trips. Like her, I wanted to see the world. I wanted to make whoopee.
But life was rough for me, a college drop-out with limited skills and as such, limited income, so that through the remainder of the eighties and into the nineties my international travels were relegated to road trips to Canada. Back then, a simple driver's licence would suffice.
More trials and errors would come into play in my life for the next three decades. But then I was freed. Freed from the oppression of having to report to a workplace and perform demeaning tasks and kiss many stinky brown holes.
Now I can afford to fly where I like, whenever I like. But I need that passport if it's outside the country. This kept travel plans restricted to just US destinations for years which is all well and good...the US has, of course, a lot to offer. But I wanted more.
So I reapplied for a new passport. What happened to the 1985 passport? I remember keeping it safe for a few years but somewhere down the line, I just kinda lost track of it. With all the moves and variances in stability in my life over the years, this shouldn't shock anyone.
Well, my new passport came in today. I remember (or think I do) that the 1980's version seemed to have a more leatherette cover, better binding and a more sturdy feel. The new one is just stiff cardboard? Just feels cheaper.
But the graphics of it look good, and if it does the job, than what do I care.