Now that the east coast has finally started to warm up, the sun is shining, birds are chirping...allow me to bring some gloom and doom to your day. It looks like the cost of obtaining / renewing a passport is going to go up.

The State Department is proposing a fee hike that would raise the cost of applying for a passport from $100 to $135, and renewal cost would increase to $110 from the current $75.

The reason? The State Department says that the costs of increased security and anti-fraud and terrorism measures aren't being covered by the current fees.

Besides this just seeming like yet another rising cost that is annoying to deal with, some lawmakers worry that overall it will hurt the tourism industry- particularly to neighboring countries of Canada and Mexico. They worry that the increased burden will deter Americans from traveling and in turn, continue to hurt the economy.

While the increase is not yet final, it could be in effect by April. The State Department suggests applying for your passport now if you are planning international travel, as a rush of applications are expected in the wake of this news.

Do you have an alternative idea to cover security costs? Do you mind paying the higher fee?

Who hasn't had one of those "Duh!" moments? You know, the ones where you realize after the fact that there was a much easier way to do something?

I had one of those moments as soon as I started my job with the Federal Citizen Information Center in November and learned about USA.gov.

As a child of the Google generation, my first instinct is to Google anything I want to know. If only I had known USA.gov is like the Google for government information.

Unfortunately for me, my dreaded experience trying to get a passport might be the perfect story to illustrate why I wish I would have known about USA.gov when I was in college.

At the beginning of my junior year, I wanted to spend winter term studying in Italy. It was a three-week program touring all the art and architecture in some of Italy's most famous cities, culminating in a final paper and three upper level elective credits.

It seemed financially feasible if some scholarship money came through. The only thing I needed was a passport.

I Googled how to get one, followed what I thought were reliable directions and showed up at the post office only to be told my photo wasn't acceptable. It followed the size dimensions, but wasn't zoomed in enough, or some detail like that.

I was caught off guard and frazzled, but the helpful woman working that day offered to take another picture for me.

I took a minute to catch my breath and compose myself so I could look pretty in my glamour shot. It didn't work.

I never went to Italy, but I used that passport on my graduation cruise to the Bahamas, and to this day my roommates cackle with laughter when they think about my horrible, horrible photo.

Makes me wish I had known about USA.gov a few years earlier to check out all the passport requirements. I could have looked like a superstar in my photo. Or at the very least, not like a crazy person.

Please tell me I'm not the only one with an unfortunate passport picture. Feel free to share your horror stories in the comments.

We've been getting a lot of calls at the National Contact Center about the new passport requirements that take effect on June 1, 2009. People want to apply for or renew a passport now because these new requirements state that U.S. citizens traveling to Mexico and Canada will be required to present a passport or passport card to enter or re-enter the U.S. on June 1. Currently you only need a passport to enter or re-enter the U.S. from a border country by air, but the new requirements will require a passport or passport card to enter or re-enter by land, sea and air.

If you don't have a passport, I suggest you get one ASAP because it could be cheaper, you'll get it quicker and you'll save yourself some headaches. Earlier this year, I found out firsthand that passport fees can rise at the beginning of the year. I know from past experience that processing times will take longer as the deadline approaches and you don't want to pay extra money to expedite your passport.

The current routine processing time for passports is three weeks. Here are the new rules from the Department of State:

On June 1, 2009, the U.S. government will implement the full requirements of the land and sea phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). The proposed rules require most U.S. citizens entering the United States at sea or land ports of entry to have a passport, passport card, or WHTI-compliant document.
Please Note: Children under age 16 will be able to continue crossing land & sea borders using only a U.S. birth certificate (or naturalization certificate) after the new law takes effect in June. The original birth certificate or a copy may be used. See the Department of Homeland Security's Ready, Set.. Go! for more information on the changing travel requirements.

The good news is if you're going directly to Puerto Rico or another of the U.S. territories, they're considered part of the U.S., so you don't need a passport! Makes a great case for visiting the U.S. Virgin Islands!

Next week, I’ll be in the Eternal City exploring ruins, drinking wine, eating gelato, and of course, shopping. But before I can say Ciao, I need to make sure I’m prepared for my trip overseas.

Thanks to Marybeth’s post on travel docs, I have the 411 on everything from entry requirements to the exchange rate‚a necessity for calculating how much the “must have” Italian shoes and bags will cost me. Speaking of shopping, it’s a good idea to make note of your credit card limit and to find out how to report a loss of your card abroad. And don’t forget to get a number that you can call while overseas since the 800 numbers don’t work. You may also want to ask if your card has a “foreign currency conversion fee,” which can sometimes be up to 3%.

I’ve also learned from other overseas trips to leave my travel itinerary and copies of important documents (passport, will, driver’s license, etc.) with a family member or friend. But what do I do if my passport is lost or stolen in Italy? Or, I unfortunately get sick?

USA.gov’s International Travel section is full of useful links that can answer these questions and many more. You can get customs and health info, tips for long-distance calling, emergency services facts, and much more. There’s also important info on how to stay safe on your trip abroad at Pueblo.gsa.gov.

Feel free to share any stories, tidbits, or helpful websites on traveling overseas. In addition to the resources I’ve linked to, I always have found Budget Travel and NBC’s Travel Editor, Peter Greenberg, to be invaluable.

Starting next week, the Wednesday posts will be written by our substitute blogger, Colleen. Although I'm moving on to a new opportunity outside the government, I can’t wait to read her weekly entries since they always manage to provide the right mix of great info and humor, whether they’re about Philly, the Boss, or Beantown. Thanks for reading my posts each week—I’ve really enjoyed our conversations!

I have no glitz for you, today. No glamour. No grapefruit. No gifts. And sadly, no George Clooney.

What I do have though, is a great feature on USA.gov that will keep you from waiting in long lines, calling from office to office and wandering from website to website looking for the government forms that you need to take care of the business of everyday life: Forms.gov 

Bookmark this baby! The federal forms that you need are all in one place. Type key words in the search box for the forms you're looking for, search forms by the federal agency they come from or search by form number, if you know it. Whatever search method works for you, works for Forms.gov 

Tax day is three months away. Get your forms here.

Are you or your kids college bound and need to apply for student aid? Here's the gateway to the application process.

Ready to apply for Social Security? Here's where you start.

Moving and need to change your address with the post office, your state division of motor vehicles and more? Type "address change" into the Forms.gov search box to help you find all the forms you need.

Traveling and need to renew your passport? Do it by mail using this form.

If you're a farmer, doctor, realtor, civil servant or are in any other position that requires you to keep up with federal forms on the job for everything from safety to licensing to subsidies, Forms.gov is your go-to place.

I'm always looking for ways to consolidate and simplify my life--at home, at work and online. So I'm taking my own advice and bookmarking Forms.gov.