Arriving in Ireland (Or, reasons for traveling by yourself)

(From the bus into Dublin from the airport)

In preparation for our trip to Ireland, I had to renew my passport, which expired sometime this spring. I asked Matt if he needed to renew his as well, because many countries require passports to be good for six months beyond the date of the trip. (I guess they are afraid you might stay.) No, he said, my passport doesn't expire until 2010. Perfect, I said.

Several months later, we were filling out immigration cards during the descent into the Dublin Airport. I glanced over at Matt's only to see him filling in a passport issuance date of October 1999. I thought your passport expired in 2010, I said. This is the issued date, not the expiration date, he said. But the passport is good for ten years, I said, meaning yours expires in October 2009. Oh, he said.

That's right, my husband traveled overseas with a passport that expired in only 5 months. I started to freak out. Would they not let him out of the airport? Would he be like Tom Hanks in The Terminal? What in the world would I do since I can't drive the rental car? What about all the hotels I had spent so much time booking and would have to try to undo?

I finally got out the guidebooks to double check requirements. Rick Steves said six months for both Ireland and Northern Ireland, but Fodor's said six months only for Northern Ireland. Well, that's better, I thought. We will just change up the itinerary and I will take a day tour to the Antrim Coast in Northern Ireland while he thinks about his irresponsibility in a pub in Dublin...

We got through immigration without a problem at the airport. They asked how long we were staying, and I said 10 days. They didn't mention his passport expiration and obviously neither did we.

After a few days and some research, we finally discovered that Ireland and Northern Ireland were a common travel area, and we couldn't seem to corroborate the six month requirement anyway. So we decided to go for it. As it turns out, there is no border at all.

I guess all that worry and consternation was really for nothing.

***

After reading my blog, my mom asked my sister, doesn't Alison know she has to take care of that stuff for Matt?

I thought I had taken care of it by asking. Turns out I actually have to find the source documents.

Or next time, travel alone :) I can usually trust myself.

(Of course I am glad he got to come with me, despite the fact that sometimes I think if he ever felt the consequences for his actions, he might think some more about them. But I guess I just have to accept the fact that checking on these things is part of my role in our relationship. Love you!)