I have been traveling internationally since 1988. That’s over 30 years of international travel to 50 countries. I advise people about diligence all the time as I lead people to countries all over the world. My biggest caution is especially vigilance with pick-pockets. They say that humility comes to those who wait…or rather breathe. On a recent family trip to Paris to celebrate Christmas together I was so excited for the fact that this was the first time we were all together for 18 months. And in my excitement, I let down my guard and got sloppy with where I put my travel wallet. Normally when I travel on public transport I place my wallet either in my front left pocket (I am left-handed and my dominant hand typically is in my pocket when I’m on a train), or in an internal zippered pocket in my jacket. But on this particular day I was distracted by the Paris transit strikes and busy trying to figure out how we were going to get from the airport to our Air B&B. And in this state of distraction…I placed my wallet in my right-hand exterior zippered pocket of my jacket (cue the “Dunh, dunh, dunh” music). The stage was set for this not so little lamb to be led to slaughter. So this is my reason for writing this blog post: If you ever are in my situation and your passport gets lost or stolen, DO NOT PANIC! My family will testify of the truthfulness of this statement that I did not freak out. Even though this has never happened to me, I was armed with information that losing your passport is not the end of the world. Especially because we were in the capital city of Paris, France where there is a U.S. Embassy. My family was watching me as I shut of my credit cards, and then settled in and relaxed for a great evening together knowing that I was simply going to be slightly inconvenienced that next day for a few hours while I went to the U.S. Embassy and got an emergency replacement passport. Here’s the key things that you need to be aware of if you find yourself in my shoes: 1) Always carry a color photocopy or your photo page of your passport, or at least have a photo of it on your phone. This seriously helps expedite the process of getting into the passport division of the embassy, and makes it an easier process to get the replacement passport. 2) The security measures in effect at U.S. Embassies means that you are not allowed to bring in your phones. If there is information that you cannot readily recall (social security number, parents birthdates, etc.), make sure that you write those down on something before you enter. You need this information to fill out the application for a new passport. 3) You are only allowed to request an emergency passport if you are within seven days of travel. Be aware: Not all countries recognize the U.S. 12 Page Emergency Passport. This may affect your onward travel plans if you are not immediately returning back to the United States. And the Emergency Passport is only good for one year from the date of issue. By the way…the irony of getting an emergency passport in France is that they don’t recognize the emergency passport…this made me giggle. 4) Here is my best piece of advice: Relax! Seriously…this is not the end of the world. My wife Onalee and I actually enjoyed the time we spent waiting for my application to be processed. The Embassy staff were helpful and considerate. The process was very streamlined (They even had a booth to take a passport photo in the lobby that took credit cards). We sat and watched other people freaking out, and I am sure that part of it is the embarrassment that comes from this happening. I chose to not dwell on this or let it be something that demeaned me. This happens…especially in Paris. I let my normal travel guard down and I got my wallet stolen. I will not soon forget this lesson. All in all, this was a $145 lesson, three hours of time and two Ubers. My wife and I made the most of our time together. The U.S. Embassy in Paris is in a very beautiful part of town. Our adult kids played games back at the Air B&B while we were gone, and then we got on with the rest of our fun together. Because I was armed with the information of the process to get a new emergency replacement passport, I didn’t freak out or stress out. Plus…as an added bonus…you simply fill out a form and mail in your emergency passport, a passport photo, the letter they give you from the Embassy and you get a brand spanking new full passport with having to pay additional fees if you complete the process within the year. Yippee!