Today I drove up to Detroit to be interviewed by the TSA in an effort to enroll in the GOES program, where a person is listed as a trusted traveler and allowed to skip the long lines at immigration when returning to the country. I was up early and took off with plenty of time for arriving there for my 12 noon appointment. I wanted to leave early in case I was caught up in traffic or happened to get a flat tire.
But traffic was light today and I had no problems with the car. I arrived at Detroit early and headed straight to the TSA office. No one else was there, so they took me right in for my interview. The questions were typical of what one would expect and I presented my documentation and was photographed and fingerprinted. I left to return home even before the time I was scheduled to be interviewed.
The drive home was also uneventful and I got back in mid-afternoon, which was much earlier than expected. I told my wife all about the trip then came in to check my email and get a few chores done around the house. To my surprise, I had a notice from the TSA informing me that I had already been approved for the program. So it was a day well spent, as I should be able to avoid the very long lines that form at immigration in Houston and always make for very long delays when I am returning to the States.
Hopefully this will make my return trips less stressful and help me make my connecting flight. At very least, being approved made the long day on the road worth the effort that I had invested in attempting to secure the trusted traveler status. Join me in praising God for this advantage that will ease the travel back and forth to Colombia.