BY Mariah ROcker

Copy Editor

Summer break is right around the corner, causing students and faculty alike to buzz with excitement for their summer plans.

For many people, summer break means escaping from the constraints of college and enjoying the warm weather. The lucky ones take the entire break off, not having to worry about work, school, or anything other than the quality of their tan. For others, summer quarter brings the stress of completing classes in a much shorter time frame, or obtaining a job to pay certain expenses.

Either way, a large number of people take this opportunity to travel. If you’re planning on traveling out of the country for the first time, then you’ve come to the right place.

I’m here to give you some quick tips on how to get started, and a comprehensive breakdown on the one thing you absolutely must have in order to get out of the country—a passport.

To begin, you need to figure out where your adventure will begin. Will you simply drive across the border, or fly across the seas? Visit someone you know, or go someplace entirely unknown to you before? When starting from scratch, the world is literally at your fingertips—so where will you go?

If answering that question seems hard, then I suggest asking around. You’d be surprised how many professors could give you a quick solution, basing their suggestions on their own travels.

Gathering firsthand information from people you know will give you a real idea of what’s in store, instead of expecting what is dictated in the media. Wouldn’t you rather be prepared for what’s to come?

Once you’ve found your ideal destination, the next step is planning what you’ll do. Budgeting, as monotonous and annoying as it is, is required. You don’t want to run out of money while in another country.

But remember; don’t take everything at face value. Websites and apps, like Kayak, are a useful resource to find cheap airfare and lodging. You can also use the hotels that some countries boast—most are cheap and surprisingly nice.

All the nitty-gritty details of exactly what you’re budgeting, who you’re going with, where you’re going to and how to pack are up to you. I haven’t quite gotten to that part myself. But, as promised in the beginning, I have one nugget of knowledge to share: how to get a passport.

Getting a passport can be a difficult process, especially if you go into it blind. You can apply for a passport at a few locations, most notably the post office and courthouse.

The post office requires that you make an appointment to apply, and they take photos for you on-site.

The courthouse, however, runs on a first-come-first-served basis. They also take pictures on-site, but only if they have the film (an issue that I ran into, myself.)

If you want to be proactive and have the pictures prior to applying, you can take them at many different places around town. I personally went to Fred Meyer, but you can go wherever you feel comfortable.

Along with a passport photo, you will need $25 (paid in cash or check) for the fees associated with applying, and $110 (paid in check or money order) to pay for the passport. These costs are considered different and are paid to different places, so make sure to have two different forms of payment.

Sounds easy enough so far, right? All that you need after this is a certified birth certificate (hey, there’s a reason to call home!) along with another form of identification (I used my driver’s license).

The last step to applying is to fill out the application. This part is pretty self-explanatory, and you can pick one up prior to applying, at the time of the application, or you can even find it online and print it off at home. There’s only one thing to remember about the application: only use BLACK ink.

If you can manage to have the correct photos, as well as all of the required materials (recap: birth certificate, money, second form of identification, and a correctly filled out application), acquiring a passport is easy.

We all know that there is a lot more to traveling abroad than I covered, but part of the fun is finding things out on your own!

So I’ll leave you with one more tip: if you’re worried about the dangers of being in another country and far-removed from all that you know, download the Kitestring app. Trust me, it’s good for peace of mind.