“We expect everything and are prepared for nothing.” – Anne Sophie Swetchine

A few years ago when I started traveling internationally for work, Jeanine insisted that I apply for a new passport. “Why?” I asked. I still had a couple of years until it was up for renewal. Her reply went something like this: “Well, that picture is eight years old and it doesn’t even look like you. If anything happens while traveling, this is the document photo that gets plastered on CNN and it would be better if you looked my current girlfriend.”

I think she meant that my looks & style have improved with age (thanks, in part to Jeanine and her best friend, Debbie, fashionista extraordinaire). Her real concern though was that I put my best effort forward, especially if it maps back to her.

In my mind, the only people seeing my passport were customs officials. Of course, she was alluding to something tragic happening to me like being kidnapped by extremists in Manila or being in the wrong place at the wrong time in or around London Heathrow. This means that I would have to be the victim of some awful event that would get me on CNN in the first place.

It was the same conversation that made me get our financial documents in order and prompted us to put all our assets into a trust. Nobody likes thinking about this but better to be prepared for everything and expect nothing, right?

Needless to say, I have an excellent photo in my passport now. I made copies and sent them to the sisters in Ohio under the pretense of “someone back home should have this in case anything happens while Jeanine is with me.” While really… it was more of a sisterly competitive thing… mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is most beautiful of them all?

All that, to get to today’s thoughts about getting things in ordered. And since I’ve rambled on, I’ll just go ahead and mention the links without much segue.

I already covered the unexpected here. But below are other tips about keeping copies of documents thanks to Credit.com.

“Emergency documents — Store copies of important documents and cash in a safe place in case of emergency. You’ll need to access these documents if your home is damaged, your wallet is stolen, or if you encounter trouble while traveling. This folder of key documents should be kept with a trusted relative or in a safety deposit box that you’ll be able to access easily. Be sure to include:

– Copies of your mortgage documents
– Copies of your auto loan and ownership documents
– Copies of insurance certificates
– Copies of medical records and insurance documents
– Copies of birth certificates
– Copies of legal documents and wills
– Copies of the front and back of your credit card
– Copies of your driver’s license and passport
– A list of important phone numbers and contacts
– A small amount of emergency cash”

If you are traveling abroad this summer here are the top 10 tips you need to make your trip easier from the State Department’s web site. Two good ones are listed below:

“Make sure you have a signed, valid passport and visas, if required. Also, before you go, fill in the emergency information page of your passport.”

“Make 2 copies of your passport identification page. This will facilitate replacement if your passport is lost or stolen. Leave one copy at home with friends or relatives. Carry the other with you in a separate place from your passport.”

And in the meantime, let’s all stay off of CNN.