Unfortunately, passports are not nearly as intriguing as they sound, and obtaining one does not qualify you for membership in some elite society; it merely proves that you are who you say you are, that you are not a threat to national security, and that you can pass through certain borders and enjoy your vacation.

If you know you're going to need a passport, start the process as soon as possible. Although most applications take only a matter of weeks to process, a few people do run into snags or delays. You wouldn't want to be counting down the last few days until your honeymoon only to learn that you need to resubmit some piece of information.

Download the application for your passport online at www.state.gov/travel. If you are applying for a passport for the first time, you'll have to take the application to a passport acceptance facility. These facilities vary in their locations, but can often be found in post offices, county offices, or large public libraries.

Along with the application, you'll need:

• Your birth certificate or naturalization papers

• Your social security number

• A photo ID (such as a driver's license)

• Money

• Two passport photos (any one-hour photo shop can provide these for you; make sure you tell them that these are passport pictures, as they need to be a specific size)

The total fee for processing the application for an adult is $97. You can expect to receive your passport in about six weeks, although you can pay for expedited service (which cuts down your waiting time to about two weeks).