b'Matters heart of thematterThingsthat Matter Since 1990 My Travel SnafuFeaturing Local People, Places and PUBLISHER& EDITOR IN CHIEF It was still worth itEllen DonkerBY ELLEN DONKERASSOCIATEEDITORAnne MandellSOCIAL MEDIA MANAGERRachael EntineADVERTISING CONSULTANTSRene ConlonH. Leslie Gilman W travel,Itioned that the Philadelphia office could Ryan NishAmy Powerhen it comes GRAPHIC DESIGN toprint them onsite. I appreciated her empa-Ellen Donker like to be or- thy and detailed instructions to make sure ganizedandI had everything in hand when I got there. COPY EDITORS ontime.IAfter filling out the paperwork the rep Charles Hammer researchmyhademailedme,IdrovetotheMaple-Tia Swanson destinationswood CVS for my passport pictures, pray-CONTRIBUTORS far in advance, have a packing list and make sure I get to theing that someone would be there who knew how to operate Adrianna Donat airport early. I dont want any drama. Yet thats what I gotits camera. After solving some coupon issues for a customer Ken Gagne the day my husband and I were scheduled to fly to Portugal. (didnt they know I was having a travel emergency?), the Rose Bennett Gilbert Three of my girlfriends and I had been planning to takecashier took my photocertainly not my best picture day, Erin Rogers Pickering this trip with our husbands since 2019, but it had got- but good enough. One gas stop later I was flying down the Ilysse Rimalovski ten sidelined by life and the pandemic. Now, at last, allNJ Turnpike on my way to Philadelphia.Tia Swanson the conversation and planning were becoming a reality. AtAt 11:45, I stepped into the passport office. By noon I Joy Yagid 11 p.m. on May 10 wed be off to Portugal for a week,was telling my story to the agent. He kindly asked me about followed by a week in Provence. my travel plans, told me about his upcoming trip to Italy But at 7:30 that morning, something didnt seem rightand then processed my paperwork. He said a lot of people afterIdownloadedourboardingpasses.Irabbit-holedhad told him that morning that they had never heard of my way into the restrictions link on the Air Portugal site.the three-month rule. Still wondering whether I would re-Please address all correspondence to: Thats when I saw the three-month rule, which statedally get my passport that day, he told me to come back at Visual Impact Advertising, Inc. that to gain entry to most of the European Union, ones3 p.m., the magic hour by which all passports for the day P.O. Box 198 passport must be valid 90 days after departure. I knew fullwould have been printed.Maplewood, NJ 07040 well that my passport was expiring in July, 62 days later,And thats what happened. At 3:05 I walked back to the 973-763-4900 and was planning to renew it after the trip.parking garage, thanking God that I would indeed be able mattersmagazine.comStandinginmykitchenwiththerealizationthatIto get on my 11 p.m. flight but asking for smooth sailing info@mattersmagazine.com might not be able to fly out that night, I could barely findon the Turnpike. I walked in my door at 5:30 with just Matters Magazine is owned and publishedthe words to tell my husband. I may have even stoppedenough time to take a shower, make a final check of my lug-by Visual Impact Advertising, Inc., P.O.breathing as my predicament seemed unsolvable.gage (good thing I packed ahead!), and grab some dinner Box 198 Maplewood, NJ 07040. MattersI knew I had to figure out how to get my new passportbefore heading to Newark Liberty International Airport.Magazine is free, with editions direct mailed seven times a year to the residents of Maple- renewed within the day but had no idea who to contact. InWhen I showed the Air Portugal agent my passport, she wood and South Orange and distributed toa daze, I walked upstairs and got on my computer. I sooncouldnt believe that I had gotten it in one day. She con-businesses and surrounding communities totaling 16,000. Subscriptions are availablefound a phone number for the U.S. Department of Statefirmed that she wouldve had to send me home if I had to non-residents for $30 (U.S.) $40 (Foreign)and waited until the phone lines opened up at 8 a.m. I gotpresented the old one.annually. No part of the publication may bethrough right away and somberly told the representativeFinally able to relax, the stress melted away and my hus-reprinted or otherwise reproduced without writtenpermissionfromVisualImpactmy problem.bandandIspentamagicaltwoweeksawaywithour Advertising, Inc. With no appointments available online, she looked forfriends. In the process, I also gained a good story to tell and CIRCULATION VERIFIED BY extra slots that they save internally for emergencies. Newan opportunity to use this column as a PSA. Planning to U.S. POSTAL RECEIPTS. York?Noappointments.Philadelphia?Afew.Thereptravel internationally? Check your passport before you go READ & RECYCLE signed me up for a slot at noon. Although she couldntand observe the three-or six-month rule depending on your say whether Id get my passport within the day, she men- destination. Its a thing. 8/ matters magazine / summer 2024'