I've got three things needing renewal next year: (1) my US passport, (2) my F4 visa (which I'd just renewed recently, but which can never be valid beyond my passport's validity period—something to remember next time—and my passport lapses next year), and (3) my Virginia driver's license. I believe I can start the passport-renewal process this week if I want to because I now have definite plans for my residence: whether I keep the current job or end up free-floating, I'll still be at the same address. No moving to Suwon, no changing apartments inside my own building, none of that. So my address will remain consistent, which means I can proceed with all the paperwork I need to do.
As for my driver's license, well... if I'm planning to visit four places next year (David in NM, Sean in IL, Mike in VA, and Dominique in France... but I might put France aside for a different year), what I might do is visit Mike for a week or two in the late winter or early spring (March-ish) and crash at his place while I resolve the driver's-license issue. Only after I get the passport resolved, of course. Then, much later in 2025, I'll go back to Seoul Immigration to renew my F4 visa one more time—this time for its full, three-year term. It'll be nice to be done with that and not worry about it for a few years. (I suppose I could also try applying for a permanent-resident visa, but I don't know what paperwork that would involve. Stay tuned.)
So the chronology is:
2. March-ish: visit the US and get driver's license renewed
3. September/October: get F4 re-renewed (for 3 years this time)
I hate this sort of paperwork, but as long as I live overseas, it's a reality.
Stay tuned for more about how I'll be spending my 2025. If I'm out of a job, I've got a whole list of activities I want/need to engage in.
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