Update on Lost Passport

Hi Everybody,

It’s been brought to my attention that I didn’t tell you the outcome of the student who lost her passport so here it is…

After she informed me that her passport was back in Jaipur and the telephones calls had been made, our primary concern was to get her back to Chennai with us. Fortunately, she had other identification with her and the airline allowed her on the plane. When we got back to the ship, the Director of Student Life was there to greet us and told us that the passport had not been found on the bus and that she needed to talk to the student immediately. I wasn’t privy to that conversation but I hope there was a reality check inserted into the talk at some point.

The next morning (Friday and the day we were to leave the port), the director and the student stopped at a place to get her photo taken and then went on to the US Consulate here in Chennai. From what I heard later, it was a very simple process and she had a new passport in hand in 20 minutes – in India no less! I was absolutely astonished that it didn’t take all day to be issued a new passport. This student was unbelievably lucky that she didn’t get left behind in India! So, that’s the happy ending to some amazing stupidity.