Do You Have Your Invitation?

“Where Can I Go?”

I get that question a lot and my response is where do you want to go? As my mentor expressed to me as I was sitting for my professional engineering exam, “once you pass, you have an invitation to the party. You might not want to go to the party, but you have the invitation”. That’s how I feel about a passport. You may never use it (it’s valid for 10 years) but if an opportunity comes along, you have the invitation to go if you so choose.

Where can you go without a passport if you are a citizen of the USA? I guess we should start there. You are able to travel within the continental United States (50 states) as well as USA territories: Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands without a passport. If you are wanting to experience a tropical vacation without having to go through the process of getting a passport, these territories as well as Hawaii are options you should consider. Being that some of these destinations are quite remote, your departure dates will need to be flexible as flights are limited. And if you are looking for luxury accommodations, these might not be a great fit, as these territories don’t rely on tourism as their main source of economic growth.

However, the top two territories (Puerto Rico and USVI) and Hawaii, offer the flexibility of travel with luxury accommodations. I’m sure I’ve mentioned my experience in Puerto Rico, days before Hurricane Maria struck, and it was a great time. From the nightlife, tropical rainforest, secluded beaches, coral reefs that attacked me (you’d have to be there), and the delicious food in restaurants, beaches, and “food halls”, Puerto Rico is a place to visit for all vacationers young and old, solo and family, relaxation or adventure.

But you are saying you want to go to the Bahamas or Mexico? Yes, those destinations seem to be easily accessible due to proximity but you will need to apply for a passport. Don’t worry, it’s not a strenuous process, the fee isn’t extravagant and again, it lasts for 10 years. You can go to this website to find all the steps and FAQs about passports. Remember, you don’t have to go to the party, but at least you’ll have an invitation.

So help me help you with your travel plans and get the invitation so you can explore the world on your timeline. Don’t get caught paying extra fees because a “party” presented itself and you have to scramble for the invitation. Save yourself the stress and plan ahead.