Working Ahead

I would not consider myself a deliberate, plan-ahead type of person, but my job (admin assistant) requires that I work at least a few weeks into the future in my boss's calendar -- making appointments, rearranging meetings, and planning for travel. As a result, I often find myself unaware of what the actual date is, and sometimes even have a hard time keeping track of the current month. On very rare occasions, the year somehow escapes me, although those moments are usually in December or January -- the transitory months between years when everyone else is confused, too.

One such time-warp event occurred tonight, as I was brushing my teeth, and I honestly lost my head for about 10 intense minutes.

Here's the scenario: We are a few weeks away from a long vacation to Alaska, and because we will be crossing into Canada on our trip, we need to have current passports. As I was brushing my teeth (brush, brush, brush), this little Q&A was playing out in my mind:

Q: Hmmm. How long are passports actually valid?
A: I think they're valid for ten years, if I remember correctly.
Q: And how long ago did we actually get our passports?
A: Maybe a year or two after we got married. It's probably been about ten years now...

At this point, you must imagine a small choke, some spitting, a clatter of a toothbrush in the sink (unhygienic, I know, but emergencies are emergencies!), and a rush of bare feet on carpeted floors (in other words, insert no sound effects here). I dug out my passport from its secret hiding place (yeah, you wish you knew!) and stared at the date. My passport reads: Date of expiration 20 AUG / 08.

20 August! Why, that's (gasp, gasp, gasp) six days from now! Already I am calculating how long it might take to get a passport renewed. I'm instantly sitting at the computer, typing "renew US passport" into Google. I'm reading government web pages frantically, looking for timelines, expedition costs, and online applications. I'm planning my Wednesday: I'll go to our local passport office as soon as possible in the morning. Nothing else matters. Nothing else!

Then, slowly, I have the calming realization that "08" means next year. We are in fact living in what is popularly known as "07." The tingling sensation slowly drains from my arms. My eyes blink. I take a deep breath. Everything is going to be okay. Really.

Based on current passport issuance trends, I should actually be freaked out now if I am planning a trip out of the country any time after August 20 of next year, but for the moment I'm going to stay focused on this month and this trip and put off worrying about next year until a later date. Hopefully, I'll still be at least three months ahead of schedule anyway.