Unexpected Adventures
One of the things about having lead a charmed life or at least one I perceive to be charmed is an acute awareness of how one is one's own architect of one's own downfall. In this case the fact I tend to only be organised along certain axises or more accurately that I am disorganised along certain axises (anything I don't plan myself or sort as soon as it occurs) is why I'm writing this from a hotel in Belfast.
This morning while checking us in for our flight to Prague tomorrow, Rachael spotted that my passport had expired 2 months ago. This resulted in panic for me and tears for her; followed by calls to the Passport office; the discovery that my only way to definitely go on our minimoon was to be at an appointment in the Belfast passport office at 8:30am on Friday; research into flights; a call to Easyjet to get confirmation I wouldn't need a passport for Belfast; getting permission to take 1.5 days holiday at no notice from my lovely work; booking one of the last 5 seats and a cheap hotel; a slightly frantic hour in town getting a form, passport photos, cash for Belfast, Euros for Prague and a toothbrush; asking my Mum for a lift to the airport; heading home to realise Rachael had my keys*; getting them and my passport from her at get school; quick minamalist packing; returning house keys to Rachael; a journey behind learners and tractors; then an 80 minute wait at the airport; a flight; and some very friendly helpful people in NI to get me where I am now.
*Rachael had forgotten her keys, but was due to meet me in town after work so wouldn't need them, then realised she forgot her purse so couldn't go into town, then it didn't matter because my mistake was orders of magnitudes worse.
There are lessons to learn like keeping an eye on passport expiry dates and as lessons learned goes is been an expensive one in time, holiday allowance and money (2 last minute flights, a hotel room for 1 night, the cost of a premium (4 hours to get the document) passport renewal, meals out, taxis to get around makes for around £450-500 unplanned spend). I could make excuses about distractions in the last few months, and infrequent need but none of these were unmanageable and my fault is clear and I owe Rachael a lot for causing this error. However happiness is about perspective. It's solvable. I'm doing all the right things to get it sorted by acting rationally and decisively. I have people who I can rely on in an emergency. The minimoon is not been abandoned at a cost of the nonrefundable flights and hotel £600-700ish), and I won't need to sort my passport or for a decade. I have an amazingly understanding and accommodating job and colleagues. A patient and forgiving wife. Plus and life is always ready to offer to give you perspective if you're paying attention, at least my country isn't in the middle of a coup complete with martial law and curfews as a friend of mine is experiencing.
Plus now I'm here might add well spend some of tomorrow doing touristy things in Belfasr, and I'll have a story to tell.
This morning while checking us in for our flight to Prague tomorrow, Rachael spotted that my passport had expired 2 months ago. This resulted in panic for me and tears for her; followed by calls to the Passport office; the discovery that my only way to definitely go on our minimoon was to be at an appointment in the Belfast passport office at 8:30am on Friday; research into flights; a call to Easyjet to get confirmation I wouldn't need a passport for Belfast; getting permission to take 1.5 days holiday at no notice from my lovely work; booking one of the last 5 seats and a cheap hotel; a slightly frantic hour in town getting a form, passport photos, cash for Belfast, Euros for Prague and a toothbrush; asking my Mum for a lift to the airport; heading home to realise Rachael had my keys*; getting them and my passport from her at get school; quick minamalist packing; returning house keys to Rachael; a journey behind learners and tractors; then an 80 minute wait at the airport; a flight; and some very friendly helpful people in NI to get me where I am now.
*Rachael had forgotten her keys, but was due to meet me in town after work so wouldn't need them, then realised she forgot her purse so couldn't go into town, then it didn't matter because my mistake was orders of magnitudes worse.
There are lessons to learn like keeping an eye on passport expiry dates and as lessons learned goes is been an expensive one in time, holiday allowance and money (2 last minute flights, a hotel room for 1 night, the cost of a premium (4 hours to get the document) passport renewal, meals out, taxis to get around makes for around £450-500 unplanned spend). I could make excuses about distractions in the last few months, and infrequent need but none of these were unmanageable and my fault is clear and I owe Rachael a lot for causing this error. However happiness is about perspective. It's solvable. I'm doing all the right things to get it sorted by acting rationally and decisively. I have people who I can rely on in an emergency. The minimoon is not been abandoned at a cost of the nonrefundable flights and hotel £600-700ish), and I won't need to sort my passport or for a decade. I have an amazingly understanding and accommodating job and colleagues. A patient and forgiving wife. Plus and life is always ready to offer to give you perspective if you're paying attention, at least my country isn't in the middle of a coup complete with martial law and curfews as a friend of mine is experiencing.
Plus now I'm here might add well spend some of tomorrow doing touristy things in Belfasr, and I'll have a story to tell.