Your Passport to the World

Before we get you all excited about traveling, you need one key document: a passport! It can take a few weeks to get one, so keep that in mind when planning a trip. If you're under age 18, there are a few extras step you need to take.

FIRST TIME APPLICANTS:If you will be getting a passport for the first time, you will need to visit one of over 9,000 Passport Acceptance Facilities. When you have your appointment, you will need to bring:

• Application for Passport, Form DS-11
• Proof of US Citizenship (original birth certificate works great)
• Proof of Identity (ex. driver's license)
• Application fees (note what type of payment the office you are going to accepts beforehand--some only take check or money order, some take credit card too)
• Two 2" x 2" photos (get this done at a place that specializes in passport photos)
• You will also need to have your social security number handy for the application.

Please reference the US Department of State website for detailed information and a further explanation of the items mentioned above. The website can also answer questions about current processing time.

Once you have your passport, it will be valid for ten years. And trust me, the renewal process is much easier!!

Worldly Wegscheider's Tip: If you're like me, you're going to run out of pages in just a few years. To get pages added (it's free except for postage each way), you need to complete the DS-4085 form.

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Wegscheider!

Greetings and thank you for visiting my blog. My name is Kristina Wegscheider and I LOVE to travel. I started this blog so I can share my travel related tips and create a forum for people to ask questions (both destination specific and general travel questions). Travel has touched my life so much that my goal is to inspire other to get out there and explore too!

So, you might ask, how did this all begin? I got my first passport at a young age (my mom had to hold me for the passport photo) since my father was from Austria and we traveled there a few times during my childhood. In middle school, I took two school trips (Washington D.C. and Florida) and also discovered what frequent flier mile programs were (I joined American AAdvantage at age 13 completely on my own.) In high school, still more domestic trips. Once college rolled around, my whole life changed. My dad passed away and, in a way, I felt like he passed the travel baton to me. He had traveled around the world at a young age and, at age 19, I decided to continue his legacy. On December 26, 2002, I found myself en route to Australia for a study abroad program. I met one of my best friends, Jerri, and also discovered my love for learning about new places and meeting new people. From then until the present day, I have hit about 35 more countries and all seven continents. I have had all types of experiences traveling and I cannot wait to share them all with you.

Happy Traveling,

Kristina

Me, at age 21, stepping foot on the Antarctic continent.