In several months, Monsieur Henry and I will be traveling to the Baja Peninsula for a holiday with our friends at the Casa. It's good to have friends with an awesome place in Mexico*. It's good when said friends invite you to join them at their awesome place in Mexico. And it's also good to have a husband who says, "Cool. You gonna go?" instead of freaking out about the cost of getting to the awesome place in Mexico. (The prices on flights to Loreto Bay are somewhat inflexible.)I'm very excited about our journey south, although one thing I do have to check on is what I'll need to take Henry across the border†. Since we do not share the same last name there may be additional steps I have to jump through in order to leave the country with him. (I've already informed Darr he might have to sign a letter that states it is okay for me to do so.) We'll be going in May and staying for a week. And because we booked the flight right after the invitation was extended - before they can come to their senses and rescind the offer - we're actually traveling down with Megan, Megan's mom, Penny, and Avery. As Megan succinctly put it when she suggested heading down the same day she was going, three adults outnumber two toddlers. More on this later.
*See photo at top right that I "borrowed" from the Smiths.
†Henry already has a passport. He received it at the tender age of four months.
6 comments:
Ohhh... that sounds fun!
Woohoo - it's official! We're so happy to have you join us.
It hadn't occurred to me that it would be challenging to travel with a child with a different last name. I should think if you have his birth certificate, that would be sufficient proof since your name is on it.
Interesting non-related note: I have acquaintances who are not close to either of their fathers, so they chose a completely random last name to give their daughter, which means that none of them have the same last name. I think, if I were them, I'd change the whole family's last name to be the name they gave their daughter.
I can't find a definitive answer but most of the sites I've visited so far mention authorities at the border requiring a passport and a written and notarized letter from the absent parent stating that the travel is authorized. That's annoying but not terribly difficult to obtain. (It's also good to have friends that are notaries.) :)
I've heard of creating new last names for the offspring by combining the two parents names. Henry would have ended up with Glynnroy or Gillynn. Hee hee. I thought it was the different last name aspect, which may mean further scrutiny at the border, but apparently it's the single parent thing they are careful about. Child abduction cases in nasty divorces are something I keep coming across. This requirement by many countries was to help curb that.
At least 3 years ago, I had no problem bringing Avery & Cayden out of the country without Andrew. He had to sign the paperwork for the passport, so I think that insinuated that he was okay with them potentially traveling outside of the US. But... the world has changed a lot in 3 years so that might mean nothing now.
Oh... and awesome news about the trip! You guys will have such a blast and finally I'll get to see some pictures of the darned place! ;)
(Just kidding, Megan. Kind of.)
how fun! can't wait to hear all about it! looks like a beautiful place to stay.
Post a Comment