Why you should always include a return address

As you can tell from a previous post I was able to pack up some of my belongings to be sent ahead on a container to Vienna. I happily went about the business of figuring out what to send, how big the boxes were, how much they weighed, enlisting my father to carry them to the post office, etc. Little did I know the drama, the angst, the fear, the uncertainty that was to unfold.

Apparently I neglected to include in the address the simple letters: MOT. Now this isn't my fault, I wasn't told to write this, in fact one of our contacts on the shipping end neglected to tell us. But when fellow future VCS teachers were getting their boxes rejected because it didn't have these 3 letters we all began to get a tiny bit worried. It has been a topic of conversation here at PFO (pre-field orientation) a few times. Suffice it to say that the container is being held back a week to get everyone's boxes that got sent back to their houses once again to New Jersey. Which would be find and dandy if 1) all my boxes traveled at the same rate, and 2) THEY HAD A RETURN ADDRESS!!! According to the usps.com tracking devise, three boxes have been refused and sent back to sender (which unless I forgot adding a return address or some miracle happens doesn't really exist), one has been attempted to be delivered and will be sent back if it's not claimed and two are still roaming the country hopefully to at least be found. I've talked to numerous post office personnel (some who forget they know Kristine and then conveniently remember the next time I've called) and others that try to be helpful, but don't really know anything. I called Consumer Affairs and the Georgia Recieving office for Dead Mail...not a very comforting thought. They said it can take anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months for the boxes to get there!!! Which isn't too bad--but what if they get auctioned off before I can find them?!! What a nightmare!