The excited traveller, the weary “I can’t believe my vacation is over” traveller – they have one thing in common – passport out in hand waiting to board the plane.

Our passports tell our story, where we are from, where we have been, they are our security blankets, our identity is tied to them.

This year I had the honor of traveling for the first time on my American passport.  It was odd, I was nervous.  Nervous that somehow traveling with this new passport I was loosing part of me that made me unique in this world, my Canadian identity.  Would the world perceive me differently? Would I be received differently abroad? Would other travelers waiting to board with me take comfort in a fellow American traveler or would I be looked at with  “ugh, more Americans”?

It was exciting too.  No more fingerprinting and a million questions about what I am doing in the U.S. when we returned.  For Chris the security of knowing his Canadian born wife would not be detained for something or have to go through the extra steps anymore upon our return.

In the end, I’m still me and excited for the next adventure with my husband, American passport in hand.