Passports - plan ahead

Somehow I thought I was done with the travel document issues, but with a visit to the U.S. coming up, I checked my Passport and what do you know - it expires in a few months! Not only that, but trips I have are scheduled such that I don't have 3-4 weeks to be without the document, which I would be if I mailed it in for renewal.

I need an expedited one.

So, bad planning is going to cost me an extra $60 ($170 total) to renew my U.S. passport. But I'll have it in five days.

I initially, mistakenly thought that I wouldn't only needed my U.S. Passport after I received my Canadian permanent residence card, but actually you need both those items. To enter the U.S. I need the passport and to re-enter Canada they ask for both the passport and the permanent residence card.

So remember, plan ahead and have the documentation you need to cross these ever more vigilant borders of ours.