02 April 2011

renewing

my passport expires on sunday. i'm a little sad about giving it up, both for the dozens of stories it indexes and for the one that it's missing. (australia, you elusive beast, i vow to make you the first stamp in the new book.) within the well-worn pages are stamps from egypt, libya, and japan. three places very much in the news these days and, though the visa dates might indicate otherwise, still very vivid in my memory.

on the flip side, i was elated to learn that nowadays you can submit your own passport photo; you're not at the mercy of the drugstore photographer, nor out ten bucks. but oh, the pressure! smile, no smile? hair up, down? too light? too dark? does my head fit within the prescribed 1" to 1 3/8" frame?

freedom can be paralyzing.

2001 (i still have that sweater)

2011