Today I applied for my first passport so that I can go to Cuba with my Mom, just like I promised at the end of Marvin's Book. Its in writing, it is published. I absolutely have to do it.
In the past two years I have seen the invisible wall separating us from Cuba crumble, and the scholar and historian and storyteller in me should be drooling over the opportunity to take part in and write about this moment in history but I'm not entirely ready.
The idea of being So Far Away makes my stomach hurt.
Except for my two year exile in the Great Mountains of Far Far Away Colorado and maybe a few trips across the border to Georgia, I'm not much of a traveler. When I do travel, it to places where there are fireworks, ChikFilA, Princesses and Monorails.
I can't expect that in Cuba. I'm not sure if my blowdryer will work (if not, can I use my straightener? is there a Plan C for hair?) and I don't think my iPhone will be able to generate my soothing Pandora nighttime channel.
I'm scared.
But I'm going to go to Cuba, anyway.
I have a story to tell for my Abuela (and for you) and although I already know most of what I want and need to say, there is something I need to see. There is a rock, a magic rock in Cuba and I know where it is.
I have to see it, it calls to me, laughingly.
So today after stalling hour hours by sinking into episodes of Pawn Stars and Storage Wars, I turned on my computer and applied for my passport online.
At least, I filled out the form online.
Now I have to print it out, and in order to do that I have to set up the still-in-the-box wireless printer that Psychic Santa sent me, along with a pack of white paper.
And in order of set up the new printer I need to clear a great space for it, and to do that I have to tackle cleaning this post-Christmas house, do a few loads of laundry, and while the laundry is rolling I should drag the kids to the grocery, then when I get home, cook and then clean some more.
But after all that, I'll set up the printer and print it out my passport application.
And then, I'll have to take a passport picture.
And actually go somewhere to hand this form in.
Maybe I haven't actually applied for my passport YET but I've taken the first step - I've started on my start to see the rock that waits patiently for me in Cuba.
In the past two years I have seen the invisible wall separating us from Cuba crumble, and the scholar and historian and storyteller in me should be drooling over the opportunity to take part in and write about this moment in history but I'm not entirely ready.
The idea of being So Far Away makes my stomach hurt.
Except for my two year exile in the Great Mountains of Far Far Away Colorado and maybe a few trips across the border to Georgia, I'm not much of a traveler. When I do travel, it to places where there are fireworks, ChikFilA, Princesses and Monorails.
I can't expect that in Cuba. I'm not sure if my blowdryer will work (if not, can I use my straightener? is there a Plan C for hair?) and I don't think my iPhone will be able to generate my soothing Pandora nighttime channel.
I'm scared.
But I'm going to go to Cuba, anyway.
I have a story to tell for my Abuela (and for you) and although I already know most of what I want and need to say, there is something I need to see. There is a rock, a magic rock in Cuba and I know where it is.
I have to see it, it calls to me, laughingly.
So today after stalling hour hours by sinking into episodes of Pawn Stars and Storage Wars, I turned on my computer and applied for my passport online.
At least, I filled out the form online.
Now I have to print it out, and in order to do that I have to set up the still-in-the-box wireless printer that Psychic Santa sent me, along with a pack of white paper.
And in order of set up the new printer I need to clear a great space for it, and to do that I have to tackle cleaning this post-Christmas house, do a few loads of laundry, and while the laundry is rolling I should drag the kids to the grocery, then when I get home, cook and then clean some more.
But after all that, I'll set up the printer and print it out my passport application.
And then, I'll have to take a passport picture.
And actually go somewhere to hand this form in.
Maybe I haven't actually applied for my passport YET but I've taken the first step - I've started on my start to see the rock that waits patiently for me in Cuba.
