The Gilded Margin

For years, I avoided getting a passport.

Not because I didn’t want one. Quite the opposite. I’ve dreamed about traveling internationally for as long as I can remember, and now that Japan is finally becoming a reality, it was time.

The problem?

I had convinced myself getting a passport was this huge, intimidating process.

What paperwork do I need?

Am I going to mess something up?

How many appointments is this going to take?

And the biggest question…

How am I supposed to do all of this with two kids?

As it turns out…

It was so much easier than I expected.

Planning Was Everything

If you know me, you know I’m either completely winging life or I have a detailed plan. There really isn’t an in-between.

This definitely called for a plan.

We woke up early, I made the kids breakfast, grabbed myself a coffee and them hot cocoa, packed snacks, threw together a bag of action figures for my son, made sure my daughter had her iPad, and loaded everything into the car.

The real MVP of the day?

A simple folder.

I organized every document by appointment so I wasn’t digging through papers while trying to answer questions, keep everyone entertained, and remember where I put someone’s birth certificate.

It sounds simple, but it made the entire day so much less stressful.

Stop One: The DMV

Our first stop was the DMV. Because my license was way past due and I had scheduled the appointment months ago to try to get it resolved.

Not only was I finally getting my passport process started, but I also renewed my driver’s license on the same day because why not? I was able to get both the appointments scheduled for a decent amount of time in between and didn’t wanna make the trip twice when they were right next to each other. I was then just banking on the grace of God that it would all work out.

One thing I wasn’t expecting was how cute our DMV was.

They had a pretend driver’s license Photo Booth station for kids.

Naturally, my children were obsessed.

They posed like little professionals, and the pictures were adorable. I shared them on my private Facebook because they were just too cute not to.

Meanwhile, my son was completely invested in an elaborate action figure battle while my daughter happily played on her iPad.

Everyone was content.

Honestly, I couldn’t have asked for a smoother start.

Stop Two: Passport Appointments

Next, we headed to the courthouse.

Through the metal detectors we went, and as soon as we sat down, my son’s action figures immediately entered round two of whatever movie they were starring in.

While he was busy saving the world, I double-checked all of our paperwork.

The appointment was for all three of us.

The funniest part?

When they took my passport picture, my kids kept trying to stand next to me because they wanted to be in the photo too.

The employee actually had to edit my little photo bombers out of my passport picture.

Honestly…

That feels like the most accurate representation of motherhood imaginable.

I was also incredibly thankful they took our passport photos there. It saved us another stop and made everything so much easier. Don’t forget to ask when you schedule your appointment if they take photos there.

Waiting Was the Hardest Part

Then we waited.

Honestly, I expected it to take forever.

Instead, our passports showed up about two or three weeks later.

One thing that surprised me was that Texas keeps your original birth certificates while your application is being processed.

They don’t keep them forever—they mail them back—but they don’t send everything together.

Since there were three passports, three passport ID’s and three birth certificates, I think we ended up with nine different envelopes arriving over a couple of weeks.

So if that happens to you…

Don’t panic.

It’s completely normal.

Then… Verizon Happened

Now let’s talk about the part of the day that actually tested my patience.

Verizon.

What should have been a quick stop for a new phone somehow turned into four hours.

Four.

Hours.

The kids had been incredible all day, but by then everyone—including me—was running on fumes.

To top it off, they added services to my account that I never asked for or agreed to, so I had to spend even more time getting the billing corrected afterward.

Needless to say…

Getting our passports turned out to be the easiest part of the entire day.

So… Where Did Passports Even Come From?

After finally getting mine, I found myself wondering where passports even came from.

Believe it or not, they’ve existed in some form for thousands of years.

One of the earliest references dates back to around 450 B.C. in the Bible.

In the Book of Nehemiah, King Artaxerxes gave Nehemiah letters requesting safe passage through neighboring territories while he traveled to rebuild Jerusalem.

They weren’t passports like we carry today, but they served the same purpose—identifying the traveler and asking others to allow them to pass safely.

Centuries later, rulers throughout Europe began issuing written travel documents.

King Henry V of England is often credited with creating one of the earliest versions of what we’d recognize as a passport today.

Back then, passports weren’t something every traveler needed.

Everything changed after World War I.

In fact, during the late 1800s and even into the early 1900s, many people could travel internationally with very little documentation.

Countries became more focused on security, immigration, and identifying travelers, leading to the standardized passport systems we know today.

Your Passport Is Smarter Than You Think

Modern U.S. passports contain an embedded electronic chip called an ePassport chip.

That tiny chip securely stores your identifying information and helps border officials confirm your identity while making passports much more difficult to counterfeit.

It’s amazing to think something small enough to fit in your pocket contains technology that governments around the world use every day.

Why Are Passports Different Colors?

Ever noticed that passports aren’t all the same color?

That’s intentional.

Most passports fall into four general color groups.

Blue passports are common in countries like the United States, Australia, and many Caribbean nations.

Red or burgundy passports are the most common worldwide, especially throughout Europe.

Green passports are used in several Islamic countries because green holds historical and religious significance, although countries like Mexico also use green.

Black passports are among the rarest and are used by countries including New Zealand and a handful of African nations.

Here’s something I didn’t know…

The United States passport wasn’t always blue.

Throughout history it’s been green, red, and even black before eventually becoming the navy blue passport we carry today.

Brain Bites 🧠

• The word passport comes from the French phrase passer le port, meaning “to pass through a gate or port.”
• The first passport photos weren’t standardized until the early 1900s.
• Most countries recommend having at least six months of validity remaining on your passport before international travel.
• U.S. passports are considered among the world’s strongest, offering visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to more than 180 destinations.
• Your passport is one of the most valuable documents you’ll ever own—treat it that way.

My Biggest Takeaway

I spent years avoiding something that ended up taking one well-planned morning.

Sometimes we build things up in our heads until they feel impossible.

Then we finally do them…

…and wonder why we waited so long.

Now every time I see that little blue passport sitting in my desk, I don’t just see a travel document.

I see possibility.

I see Japan. Greece. Scotland. Switzerland.

I see future adventures with my kids.

I see proof that sometimes the biggest step isn’t boarding the plane.

It’s finally deciding to apply.

My Passport Day Essentials

These are the things that genuinely made our day easier and that I’ll continue using on future trips:

• Document organizer or expanding folder
• Passport holder
• Travel backpack
• Portable charger
• Snacks (lots of snacks)
• Coffee for me and hot cocoa for the kids
• Small toys and action figures
• iPads and headphones
• A comfortable tote bag
• Pens for paperwork
• Plenty of patience

I’d Love to Hear From You

Do you already have a passport, or is it still sitting on your “I’ll get to it someday” list like mine was?

If you’ve traveled internationally, what’s one piece of advice you wish someone had given you before your first trip?

And if you’re dreaming about your first adventure abroad… Where are you going?

I’d love to hear about it in the comments. Maybe you’ll even inspire my next destination after Japan.

This was our morning and afternoon that day!