What could be worse than losing your passport?

It's worth mentioning that Jillian recently ended her 27-month orthodonic odyssey. The braces, you see, are finally off. Release that smile from its captivity and let the pearly white celebration begin. Waiter, bring this woman some native Maine corn--on the cob!

This also means no more pictures like this:

[Editor/Husband's note: Doesn't Jillian look like Alex in this picture?]

But one thing Jillian could always say about her braces was that it was pretty much impossible for her to misplace, forget, or just plain lose them. Cemented to her teeth, they weren't going anywhere. The same cannot be said, alas, for her retainer, a.k.a. That Which Will Ensure Her Newly Straightened Teeth Remain So.

Losing one's retainer--which typically occurs, I'm told, when it's wrapped up in a napkin at dinner, so as not to offend the company, and then accidently tossed out with the uneaten broccoli--can be a nuisance. Back to the orthodonist for a new mold and a few hundred bucks from the pocket. Voila! New retainer.

But, Jillian's orthodonist doesn't have an office in Skopje, which makes a lost retainer more than just a nuisance. It makes a lost retainer a dental disaster, and vaults Jillian's retainer, and cases to store it, to the top of our packing list, right up there next to underwear and passports.

No, check that, it just might be more important than the passports. Lost passports mean mind-numbing bureaucratic procedures and hours spent filling out paperwork and catching deep sighs and disapproving glances at the U.S. embassy. A lost retainer? Shudder the thought.

And with that....the beautiful new smile: