welcome, y'all

Karen Peters

Southern charm • Kind heart • Adventurer at heart

A Little About Me

Hey there, and thanks for stopping by! I'm Karen — a Southern girl at heart who loves my family, good food, sweet company, and a proper adventure when it comes calling.

Life's better with the people you love beside you and a plan for what's next. That's what this little corner of the internet is all about — a place to share who I am and the trips my husband Dave and I are looking forward to.

Sit a spell, kick your shoes off, and take a look around.

— Karen
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Say Hello

Come find me on Facebook — I'd love to hear from you.

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Our Adventures

Trips Dave and I have on the books — click through to see the full agenda.

Washington DC Getaway August 11 – 13, 2026
Amtrak from Roanoke, three days in the Capital, a passport visit, and time to wander the monuments.
🔒 Private — password required (family & friends)
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Washington DC Trip Links

Handy places to manage the pieces of our DC trip. All confirmation numbers and private details live behind the lock on our full agenda.

🚂 Amtrak — My Trips Manage or reprint your Amtrak reservation and eTickets. 🎟️ Amtrak — Tickets & Reservations Log in with your Guest Rewards number to view or change seats. 🏨 Priceline — Manage Booking Where the Hampton Inn NoMa hotel was booked. 🛏️ Hampton Inn NoMa (Hotel) Hotel details, address, phone, and check-in info. 🚗 National Car Rental Manage the rental car pickup at Union Station. 📍 Hotel on Google Maps 501 New York Ave NE, Washington, DC. 🗺️ Washington Union Station Where the train arrives and the rental car pickup is.
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Passport Prep — Plain-English Guide

Here's the simple way to fill out the passport form online, save it as a PDF, print it, and bring it in person on trip day.

What you'll need before you start

  • Your full legal name, date & place of birth
  • Social Security number
  • Home address, phone, and email
  • Travel plans (dates, destination)
  • Your prior passport info (only if you're renewing)

Step-by-step (use a laptop or desktop — not a phone)

  1. Open the official Form Filler. Go to pptform.state.gov. This is the State Department's free online tool — no third-party sites needed.
  2. Answer the guiding questions. The site figures out which form you need — DS-11 if you're applying for the first time or in person, DS-82 if you're renewing by mail, or DS-5504 for a name change or correction.
  3. Fill in every screen carefully. Use your legal name exactly the way it appears on your birth certificate or previous passport. Include your phone and email so the State Department can reach you if there's a question.
  4. When it's finished, "print" it to a PDF first. When the print dialog pops up, change the "Destination" or "Printer" to Save as PDF (Mac) or Microsoft Print to PDF (Windows). Save it somewhere easy to find — like your Desktop or a "DC Trip" folder.
  5. Now print that PDF on paper. Single-sided, standard 8.5 × 11 letter paper, portrait (vertical) orientation. The application must fill the whole page.
  6. Do NOT sign it yet. The DS-11 must be signed in front of the passport agent at your appointment. Signing it early can get your application rejected.
  7. Bring everything on trip day. Take the printed form, your citizenship evidence (birth certificate or prior passport), a valid photo ID, one passport photo, and payment (fees vary — check the calculator link below).
Southern tip: Save the PDF with your name and date in the filename — like KarenPeters-DS11-Aug2026.pdf. That way you'll always know which version is the fresh one, and you can email a backup copy to yourself.

Handy links

📝 State Department Form Filler The official online form — start here. 📄 All Passport Forms DS-11, DS-82, DS-5504 and more — with instructions. 💵 Fee Calculator & Form Guide Tells you which form and how much to pay. 📸 Passport Photo Rules What a valid passport photo looks like. 📍 Where to Apply In Person Find an acceptance facility or agency near you. 📅 Passport Appointment System Schedule or manage your in-person appointment. 🏛️ Washington Passport Agency Details for the DC agency and what to bring. ⬇️ DS-11 (blank PDF backup) If the Form Filler acts up — download the blank form.