Saturday, May 3, 2008

FREEDOM! Part III

Some of you who have been following my blog for a while know that for many years, my partner Göran had no information about the identity of his birth parents. He never knew his biological father, and his mother never gave him any information about her history or background. He never had a birth certificate. In addition to posing some potentially thorny legal problems, this also meant he couldn't get a passport.

Finally last summer, with the assistance of our Congressman's office, we were able to locate and obtain Göran's birth certificate. After jumping through some legal and bureaucratic hoops (including the process of amending his birth certificate to reflect his current name) he applied for a passport.

Last November, we got a communication from the Passport Office indicating potential problems with his passport application. Apparently there were questions about the amendment of his name. Göran was beginning to despair of ever being able to travel abroad.

But finally today, his passport arrived in the mail. We have been far too excited to sleep. Just up celebrating. Life is good right now.

6 comments:

Beck said...

Congrats on your new-found freedom! So where do you go first?

Just think of the potential within those pages of the passport waiting anxiously to be stamped by border officials!

John Gustav-Wrathall said...

Heh-- Right now we're talking about a weekend trip up to Thunder Bay, Canada. Or maybe a longer trip to Toronto or Quebec. (I prefer Quebec, so I can practice my French.) Nothing ambitious right now; we're too poor to do anything more grandiose. But we're hoping within the next year or so to go to Scandinavia! Then maybe Japan (where one of my nieces will be studying abroad).

Becky and Joseph said...

I think in two years becky and I going to try to go with mom and dad to soumi. So It would be cool if you guys where able to go too.

John Gustav-Wrathall said...

We're definitely planning to go to Finland. We're not sure when. But two years from now sounds like a good time to plan for...

GeckoMan said...

Congratulations! Please give my best to Goran.

John Gustav-Wrathall said...

Gecko - Thanks, I will!

He is so excited and happy right now, he's been sleeping every night with his passport right next to him on the dresser.