I'm Thankful for My Passport

It is that time of year again. The US holiday of Thanksgiving is just around the corner.  While I am not a huge fan of the holiday itself (other than the two days off at our day jobs), I always have something to be thankful for.  This year in particular I am brought to one of the simplest items that anyone can own but at the same time is one of the most powerful.  An item so essential that without it this website would not even exist.  This item I am talking about is something that most Americans sadly do not own, but something I wish everyone did.  What am I talking about?  Well, for this years Thanksgiving, I am thankful for my passport.
Why a Passport?

I chose my passport this year for a very simple reason; my first passport that I got in 2007 is now officially full!  It only took five years, but I have now filled up all but the last two pages of my passport from our worldly explorations and it is time to add 48 more into the folds with the 24 pages that are existing. 
Where does 22 pages worth of passport stamps take you? Well, I'll tell you!  In the last five years my passport has allowed me to visit the following places:
England (2008): London, Salisbury, Windsor, Dover
Belgium (2008): No cities, drove thru
Netherlands (2008): Amsterdam, Edam
Germany (2008): Berlin, Dresden, Dachau, Munich
Czech Republic (2008): Prague
Austria (2008): Hopfgarten
Italy (2008): Venice, Rome, Florence
Vatican City (2008): Vatican City
Switzerland (2008): Lucerne, Lauterbrunnen
France (2008): Paris
Canada (2009, 2010, 2012): Toronto, Banff, Lake Louise, Fort McMurray Greece (2009): Athens
Egypt (2009): Cairo, Saqqara, Memphis, Dahshur, Aswan, Abu Simbel, Edfu, Kom Ombo, St Catherine (Sinai), Nuweiba
Jordan (2009): Aqaba, Wadi Rum, Petra, Dead Sea, Madaba, Amman
Puerto Rico (2010): San Juan - US territory, no passport required for citizens.
USVI (2010): St Thomas- US territory, no passport required for citizens.
Dominica (2010): Marigot
Barbados (2010): Bridgetown
St Lucia (2010): Castries, Soufriere
St Kitts (2010): No particular cities, island tour
St Maarten (2010): Phillipsburg, Maho Beach
Japan (2010): Tokyo, Nikko, Nagano, Matsumoto, Nagoya, Kyoto, Nara, Hiroshima, Saijo, Iwakuni, Nagasaki, Osaka, Kobe
China (2010): Shanghai, Beijing, Great Wall Area, Xi'an, Chengdu, Guilin, Yangshuo
Hong Kong (2010): Island nation
Macao (2010): Island nation
Vietnam (2010): Hanoi, Sapa, Halong Bay, Hue, Hoi An, Nha Trang, Saigon, Mekong Delta
Cambodia (2010): Siem Reap, Angkor Wat
Thailand (2010, 2011): Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Koh Samui, Koh Tao, Koh Phangan, Koh Lanta, Koh Lipe, Phuket, Koh Phi Phi, Ao Nang, Railay
Malaysia (2010): Langkawi, Penang, Cameron Highlands, Kuala Lumpur, Melakka
Singapore (2010, 2011): City nation
Spain (2012): Madrid, Segovia, Toledo, Seville, Cordoba, Granada, Barcelona, Montserrat
..and the Stamps?
You're probably wondering after reading the above list, what does the visa for China look like?  Or how about Jordan's entry stamp?  You figured it out, the stamps are my favorite part about the passport book itself.  So here they all are!  Five years worth of travels all on one page:







Some of the photos above were edited to remove information like Stamp ID #, Passport #, and other personal information to make the images suitable to publish on the web. 
Why Should I Get a Passport?
As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, many people in the USA and around the world do not have their passport. This is something that really bothers me because there are a number of benefits to having a passport that many people just may not be seeing.   The following are a few of my favorites after my last 4 1/2 years of international travel.

1. Your passport is the gateway to the world -Without your passport, you cannot leave your country.  It is a simple point and one that needs no further description.  A passport is essential.
2. We are citizens of a global community - Gone are the days of isolationism where countries kept to themselves and citizens did not roam other than for business, times of war, or as the select few who pursued tourism.  To truly understand how the global community works, you need to be a part of it and explore it.  You can't do that without a passport.
3. The world is beautiful - You can be greedy and explore the world purely for personal reasons. Sure, the US has a lot to offer in terms of geographic beauty, but leaving gives you something else that staying in the US does not: perspective. Beauty is not limited to geographic features like beaches and mountains, but culture, cuisine, politics, and people.  Those, sadly, cannot be experienced while remaining in the country.
4. Travel opens your mind - If you look deeper into the three points above, you'll see a common theme.  World travel is about growing. You leave your comfort zone and see amazing things while returning home a different person.  For that, the $140+ application fee for a passport is a small price to pay.

Whether you decide to get a passport and explore the world is up to you.  But after reading this post, you may have one final question about us after seeing all of our passport photos above. That question is likely this - with getting double pages added into my passport, can I really fill up 48 more passport pages in the next 5 years before my passport expires? Well, you'll just have to hang around and see as it is our goal to do so!
What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving? Or for those non-US based readers, what are you thankful for in general?
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Today's Post was brought to you in part by our friends at Travelex.When you head out to explore the world with your passport in hand, be sure to have some local currency with you when you go!  
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