Front cover:
Sticker: IM [Khmer script?]57. I'm pretty sure that was affixed in Cambodia. Somehow it has survived the six years of shuffle since then.
ID page:
My more precise signature of 10 years ago, where the letters of my last name are actually legible. My favorite ID pic of all time in which I look like a Russian spy, or perhaps a 19-year-old American college student. Issued On September 11. Not a great day for Americans.
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Stamp: Heathrow Airport 1 Jul 2014. LEAVE TO ENTER FOR SIX MONTHS. EMPLOYMENT AND RECOURSE TO PUBLIC FUNDS PROHIBITED. Though, feel free to have the worst night's sleep of your life in our arrival area outside of the international terminal.
Stamp: ADMITTED / CHI / DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY-US CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION JUL 08 2008. Returning from study abroad in Austria, one less boyfriend, one more tattoo.
Stamp: FRANKFURT 26.01.08 17. Entering Germany for study abroad in Austria. When you have German grandparetns, you've gotta stop in on your way through Europe!
Visa: VISUM. ÖSTERREICH. 15-01-08. MULT. REPUBLIK ÖSTERREICH GENERAL KONSULAT CHICAGO. Visa to study abroad in Graz, my first experience living abroad. I could sum it up as, being an exchange student is mostly about parties, the Euro was really expensive in 2008, and Schnitzel fat goes directly to your butt. Wouldn't change a thing!
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Visa: KINGDOM OF CAMBODIA [USED]. Phnom Penh, I. A. 25USD. Single. 8 JAN 2010. Capt. Ly Bunna Deputy Chief of visa service. "What have I gotten myself into?" That was a distinct thought while this visa was being glued in. Blog entries from 2010 are all about this plunge into Southeast Asia.
Stamp: IMMIGRATION CAMBODIA. 08 JAN 2010. 08 FEB 2010. P121. Holy shit. I'm actually doing this? Why is it so dark outside?
Stamp: IMMIGRATION CAMBODIA. SIEM REAP AIRPORT DEPARTED 28 MAY 2010. 08 FEB 2010. S068. I cannot believe I survived that. Hey. there's a Dairy Queen at this airport.
Stamp: ADMITTED / CHI / DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY-US CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION AUG 01 2015. Agent says, "So, what were you doing in Turkey for 13 months?" Sub-text: so, uh, joined ISIS lately? Please wait in the room where we've made any obviously Muslim people sit.
Sticker: JAPAN IMMIGRATION INSPECTOR. [CHARACTERS] LANDING PERMISSION. 29 MAY 2010. 27 AUG 2010. Temporary Visitor. 90 days. Narita. Officer: "What were you doing in Cambodia? So, are you planning to marry the boyfriend that you are visiting? Ok, welcome to Japan." Answers: volunteering as a teacher; uhhhhh why are you asking me that??
Stamp: IMMIGRATION. DEPARTED. NARITA. 25 JUL 2010. Well, I never saw that boyfriend again.
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Visa: KINGDOM OF CAMBODIA [USED]. Extension of Stay [Khmer script] Single. 04 MAY 2010. 08 JUN 2010. Neth Savoum. One more month. You can do it. That prison-style calendar you've been using to count down is not so great psychologically, but you're doing it!
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Taped in paper: T.C. LOS ANGELES BAKONSOLOSLUGU. ATTENTION !!! WITHIN ONE MONTH OF YOUR ARRIVAL IN TURKEY, YOU MUST APPLY LOCALLY TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR ALIENS (Emniyet Müdürlüğü Yabancılar Şube Müdürlüğü) FOR GETTING A RESIDENCE PERMIT IN THE CITY WHERE YOUR WILL BE STUDYING, WORKING, RESIDING. WWW.EGM.GOV.TR. Moving to Turkey as newlyweds.
Visa: TÜRKİYE CUMHURİYETİ. GİRİŞ VİZESİ / ENTRY VISA. TRANSİT VİZESİ /TRANSIT VISA. 08.04.2014-08.04.2015. Tek Giriş. 365 Gün / Days. Single Entry. çalışma / work. Y.Ö.K Başkanlığı. 3 MART 2014 tarih. 60,00 USD. 82444403-29. sayılı olur yanıları. A. Semra GEYIK. Konsolos. Consul. KAYSERİ MELİKŞAH ÜNİVERSİTESİ.
Stamp: T.C. İSTANBUL HAVA HUDUT KAPISI. GİRİŞ. 07 02 14. We actually arrived in Turkey. I thought I would want to kiss the ground, having been in transit for more than 48 hours, but that is pretty much the last thing you want to do in the domestic terminal of the Istanbul airport. I took a fitful nap instead.
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Stamp: T.C. İSTANBUL HAVA HUDUT KAPISI. ÇIKIŞ 17 01 15. Excited to leave Turkey for a week in the land of pork and beer: Germany!
Stamp: 17. 01. 15. 53. FRANKFURT AM MAIN. Visiting Oma and Opa in Germany for a break from Turkey. It was surprisingly hard to switch back to German after working so hard on Turkish!
Stamp: 24. 01. 15. 53. FRANKFURT AM MAIN. Back to Turkey.
Stamp: T.C. İSTANBUL HAVA HUDUT KAPISI. ÇIKIŞ 01 08 15. Leaving Turkey for good.
Stamp: CAMBODIA IMMIGRATION. PHNOM PENH AIRPORT PERMITTED 19 FEB 2016. 19 MAR 2016. P107. e-VISA. Going back to Cambodia six years later to present at a conference. Familiar in the weirdest way. One of my favorite blog entries ever.
Stamp: CAMBODIA IMMIGRATION. PHNOM PENH AIRPORT DEPARTED. 21 FEB 2016. 19 MAR 2016. P136. e-VISA.
Visa: KINGDOM OF THAILAND. [USED] Non-Immigrant B. S. 80 USD. CHICAGO. 5 Aug 2015. 4 Nov 2015. ROYAL THAI CONSULATE GENERAL. Welcome to Thailand. Same Jena, different country.
Stamp: IMMIGRATION MAE SAI THAILAND. DEPARTED. 13 DEC 2015. Walking over the bridge to Myanmar--what???
Stamp: IMMIGRATION SUVARNABHUMI AIRPORT THAILAND. VISA CLASS NON-B. 16 AUG 2015. ADMITTED 13 NOV 2015.
Stamp: CHIANGRAI IMMIGRATION. APPLICATION OF STAY IS PERMITTED UP TO 23 AUG 2016 APPLICANT MUST LEAVE THE KINGDOM WITHIN THE DATE SPECIFIED HEREIN OFFENDERS WILL BE PROSECUTED. SIGNED [Thai Script]. IMMIGRATION OFFICER. 12 OCT 2015. [Thai script].
Stamp: MYANMAR IMMIGRATION. ADMITTED TACHILEK. 13 DEC 2015. One of my proudest stamps, though it's super hard to read. Myanmar represents one of the final frontiers to me, a place still largely unexplored by tourists.
Stamp: MYANMAR IMMIGRATION. Left for MAE SAI. 13 DEC 2015. TACHILEK.
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Visa stamp: NON-IMM. IMMIGRATION THAILAND RE-ENTRY PERMIT. Valid until 23 AUG 2016. ONE. Multiple. 23 AUG 2016. 12. OCT 2015. CHIANGRAI IMMIGRATION. [Thai script]
Stamp: IMMIGRATION. MAE SAI THAILAND VISA CLASS N-I B. ADMITTED 13 DEC 2015. UNTIL 23 AUG 2016.
Stamp: IMMIGRATION. DEPARTED. 19 FEB 2016. MAE SAI THAILAND. I think this was a mistake. I was not in Mae Sai on 19 Feb. I did leave Thailand to go to Phnom Penh this day.
Stamp: IMMIGRATION BANGKOK THAILAND. VISA CLASS NON-B. ADMITTED 21 FEB 2016. UNTIL 23 AUG 2016. Back from the conference in Cambodia.
Stamp: IMMIGRATION SUVARNABHUMI AIRPORT THAILAND. 16 DEC 2016. Oh! Going to America for the first time in 18 months! Very exciting!
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e-Visa: Kingdom of Cambodia. NATION-RELIGION-KING. [USED]. Tourist. 30 days. 0 Children. 25 January 2016. 25 April 2016.
Stamp: CHIANGRAI IMMIGRATION. APPLICATION OF STAY IS PERMITTED UP TO 23 AUG 2017 APPLICANT MUST LEAVE THE KINGDOM WITHIN THE DATE SPECIFIED HEREIN OFFENDERS WILL BE PROSECUTED. SIGNED Pol. Capt. S [Thai script]. IMMIGRATION OFFICER. 12 OCT 2015. [Thai script].
Visa stamp: NON-IMM. IMMIGRATION THAILAND RE-ENTRY PERMIT. Valid until 23 AUG 2017. ONE. Multiple. 23 AUG 2017. CHIANGRAI IMMIGRATION. [Thai script]
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Stamp: IMMIGRATION SUVARNABHUMI AIRPORT THAILAND. VISA CLASS NON-B. 16 AUG 2015. ADMITTED 1 JAN 2017. UNTIL 23/8/17.
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Back cover
Sticker: GÖZEN. IST. SECURITY. Turkey was really big on security at this time. They still are, and with good reason. My passport and luggage were covered in these stickers.
Sticker: APIS GÖZEN SECURITY. ISTANBUL.
Sticker: Security. 08/07/08. 16. FIS.
