I recently went to an appointment I scheduled at the local US Post Office where I applied for a Passport. I brought my application already filled out. The meeting went well and the employee I met asked me if I had any questions. I did not. He also asked me if I am a US Citizen. I confirmed that I am a US Citizen. That was it. He kept my birth certificate which will be mailed to me when my application is done being processed. I was done with my meeting within 10 minutes.

The first time I applied for a Passport was exciting. I was in my early 20’s and preparing to travel to islands in the Caribbean and French West Indies. Since then my Passport expired and I legally changed my name. I received an email from the US Passport Agency stating that they need more information from me. I need to provide my certified legal change of name document to complete my application. Since my last Passport expired I became homeless and lost all my possessions other than the clothes I wore and a backpack of supplies for living outdoors. I lost the documentation I received from the Court when my legal change of name was finalized. Since then I’ve got back into stable and secure housing thank God and thanks to the support of many professional men and women at work helping troubled Americans every day of the year.

I was relieved when I called the Clerk of Court in the County where I was living when I changed my name for a record request and learned that I could fill out the record request at their website. It took less than five minutes to fill out the record request and only charged me $20 for a certified copy of my legal change of name decree issued by the Judge who granted me my name change.

I was also relieved to learn that I should receive the documentation within one week. I don’t currently have plans to travel internationally although I want to be ready to travel. My Passport application might take as long as 90 days to process because I didn’t ask for it to be expedited. That’s fine by me.

When I was younger I traveled to Mexico and to Canada and only needed my Gov issued photo ID card to cross those international borders. Times have changed and my current Drivers License is not Real ID certified. New Passports are Real ID certified so I’ll be able to use it to fly domestically and internationally.

I flew last year before the Real ID policy was in effect and was able to fly domestically using my Drivers License. Like I said, times have changed. Gov issued Real ID have improved security features and tie a person to their digital identity, online habits, online behavior and biometrics. I think this is good business and will improve safety for generations to come.

I love to travel and I love to fly. Although flying can be somewhat nerve racking I’ve always arrived safe and sound at my intended destination. I’m fortunate that most of my flights were on schedule. And flights I’ve taken that were delayed did not take too long. Once when I was flying home from Costa Rica to Denver I flew into Miami where my connecting flight to Denver was delayed for over 10 hours. The airline paid for a Hotel room for me for the night and drove me to the Hotel. It was a fancy Hotel near a pier off the Atlantic Coast. The next morning I took a taxi cab to the Airport and my connecting flight to Denver departed on schedule. All’s well that ends well.

The scariest flight I took was from Alamosa Colorado to Denver’s Stapleton Airport on a winter day sometime in the late 1980’s. The airplane was small and held maybe one dozen passengers. When there was turbulence the airplane altitude seemed to raise and dip a lot. We landed safe and sound at Stapleton Airport and that’s what’s most important.

Here’s to many more safe travels! Well planned vacations! Safe roadways, safe railroads, safe waterways and friendly skies. Wishing safe travels to you and your loved ones.

Jason A. Greenwood