Passport is confirmed...

When Tom's passport didn't come yesterday or today I was really starting to freak out. I mean we're only 2 days away from when we're supposed to leave for Europe, how could it not have come?

Magically today when Tom called the passport office to try and get an appointment for tomorrow he was able to speak to a real person (normally you just get that awful automated system). This lady confirmed his passport was mailed out today and should arrive tomorrow via FedEx!!

I was SO thrilled to hear this news. I am still very frustrated with the system, in that it takes over 3 months to get a passport and that they keep coming down to the wire with so many (I keep reading stories of them coming the day of trips and then even worse of them not coming at all).

My biggest issue with this whole process is that the Passport agency keeps saying their main goal is to make sure no one misses a trip. YET there are so many ridiculous issues that could be easily fixed to help smooth out the process. Such as:

1) The website & phone # both say you can make an appointment at the passport office as long as you're traveling within 2 weeks... but that is WRONG information. You SHOULD (i don't say can, because it will let you, as it did Tom, but when you get there you'll be sent away) if you're leaving within 48 hours! --> This would be such a simple fix to the website and the phone message.
2) They aren't priortizing passports by travel date. My aunt applied for her passport the week before Tom did his, but her trip isn't until October... of course she got her passport like 2 weeks ago! They should start with all passports for the trips that are soonest (this is information you put on your passport application).
3) Speaking to a live customer service rep shouldn't be that complicated. Most call centers have the option to press 0 for an operator for more assistance... Passport line doesn't have that.
4) When checking on the status of your passport online it just continually says 'processing'. Because that is very descriptive... It gives you no clue as to how far along it is in the process.

Those are my issues with getting a passport... so if you don't have one but are even considering international travel... APPLY NOW!

So as long as the lady from the passport office is correct, we will get his passport tomorrow... just in the nick of time.

This will probably be my last post until we get back from Europe... so until then...