Hello! I’m (well, not yet) studying abroad in Scotland for a month during the summer. Even though I’m still on U.S. soil, I’ve already had a rocky start to my study abroad experience.

Back in March, I discovered that my passport was going to expire. Obviously, that’s kind of a problem. No big deal, I figured. I went to some office in Strong Hall that sends off passport applications and that was that. (Except I didn’t know that they only accepted money orders or checks. I use my card for everything. So I had to go get a money order.)

Six weeks go by and nothing. Passports are supposed to be delivered in 6-8 weeks time, so I wasn’t panicking yet. Until I read on the tracking website that it had already been delivered. It most definitely had not. After arguing with the desk staff at my apartment complex, they said it had been delivered, but they didn’t know where it went. And of course, the day after I move all my stuff out and move back home to Nebraska, they found it.

I received an email stating that they would not forward the package themselves. I had to have someone else pick it up for me. It’s summer. I don’t know very many people staying in Lawrence. After more arguing with the desk staff at my apartment complex, nothing changed. They still wouldn’t forward my passport.

I’ve called several times to the USPS office that delivered it to my apartment office. And finally, someone answered who could help me. He said he would have someone pick it up and forward it to my home address.

UPDATE: I drove from Lincoln to Lawrence and back on Wednesday to pick up my passport because USPS said they couldn’t forward it. To make things more interesting, if I didn’t pick it up before 6:00 on Wednesday, they were going to send it back to the Department of State. They told me that at just before 3:00 on that day and it’s a three hour drive.  I arrived to the apartment office at 5:50. 

Word of the wise: don’t ever trust apartment offices to handle things properly. Just send your packages home.