Day 21 of 30 Days of Positive Affirmations is about welcoming travel and other new experiences into life.

11037180_10206361888982971_2675835334800940709_n

And to kick this one off, I have a story for you, and a very important passport-related public service announcement.

Two years ago on April 22, 2014, our family had a hugely shocking disappointment.

John’s brother was about to get married in the Philippines in just a few short days. As we dragged a sleeping 4-year-old Ellie and dozing 6-year-old Ronin through the airport at 11pm to check in for our red eye, we were filled with untold excitement (and anxiety) for the new travel experience ahead of us. The kids had literally counted the days, over 365 of them, for this our first ever international family vacation.

We had spent a ton of time and money planning and preparing. Ellie would be flower girl, so we had purchased a beautiful handmade satin dress and necklace ensemble that she dreamed of wearing. Ronin would be getting his own traditional garb upon arrival with the rest of the men. We had spent hours at the passport office getting first passports for the kids and renewing mine, which had expired a couple of years previously. John had gotten his passport for our honeymoon and it was several months before the expiration date.

All was ready.

We were highly anticipating a fabulous experience with loved ones in a new and beautiful land.

So as we stood at the check-in counter and were told we could not board the airplane, utter shock filled my being. Utter shock. I cannot even begin to tell you what I was feeling but I quickly posted one word on Facebook, and not a word I often use: “Motherfucker.”

It was John’s passport.

John’s passport was expiring in 5 months time, and the regulation apparently was that it had to be expiring in 6 months time for him to get on that plane.

According to the gate agents, if he flew to Manilla, they would not let him enter the country. The kids and I could have gone on ahead while he tried to quickly renew his passport the next day (which would actually have been possible at the main Seattle passport office) but standing there in disbelief with now screaming children I was terrified to go alone, flying over 18 hours with two small kids. We opted to leave and try to figure out a solution with the passport office and airline the next day.

I don’t think I have ever felt such disappointment for my kids. John called the airline when we arrived home and was told that to change our tickets, it would cost us a total of $15,000. Even if the kids and I had gone on ahead, we still would have had to pay over $3,000 to change his ticket alone, and that just wasn’t an option for us financially. So we cancelled our trip. It really was one of the biggest disappointments we’ve ever had as a family, and the kids still talk about it to this day.

Passport PSA

So my Public Service Announcement for the day: Please check your passports. If you plan to fly internationally and are less than 6 months from your expiration date, you will most likely need a renewed passport (some countries require less or even more time, so be sure to check into it.)

My dear friend Heather is a travel consultant at Bliss Travel Experiences. She rocks and I so wish we had consulted her two years ago! She says “The 6 month thing for passports is for a lot of countries now (including Mexico) – I get copies of passports so that I can check it, but it is tricky! Another thing is to have enough blank pages for visas and stamps. The state department website will show you what the country you are visiting requires – use this link, click “your destination” and enter where you are going.”

We actually got together with John’s brother Nathan and his wife Marie this past weekend (they have a beautiful 6 month old daughter now too) and we spoke of trying to one day make that trip together that we so sadly missed. To me, experiences like those are what makes life worth living especially when sharing them with the people you love.

Now of course international travel is not in everyone’s financial plan. It’s certainly not something we regularly do … obviously. But when I say “travel” I don’t necessarily mean big cross-country or across the world trips. Inviting new experiences into our lives can be as simple as checking out a cool international festival in your local town, or camping, or a day trip to the beach or lake with loved ones. A concert in the park. A drive-in movie. Even a family picnic can be a new and exciting experience for you and your family when doing it together.

Honestly, for me, especially when I’m dealing with depression, having good things to look forward to, helps immensely.

Which leads me to today’s affirmation…

Affirmation #21

Day 21 Travel Affirmation 30 Days of Positive Affirmations

Today I am repeating these words over and over again. I am inviting travel and new experiences into my life. I welcome it with open arms and see it happening.

I’m visualizing this goal for myself.

I make time for travel and new exciting experiences.

In fact, just next week I’ll be in Southern California for the Mom 2.0 conference and will also have a chance to see some family and friends from my past life in LA. I am SO looking forward to seeing so many blogging friends and to meet new ones. Will you be there too?

I am inviting new experiences!

By the way, check out my conference tips when you have anxiety, like I do.