Earlier this month, I was robbed of my passport and luggage, near the end of what was supposed to be a week in Sicily. The next several days were a lesson in how the U.S. government fails its citizens stuck overseas, particularly those with scant financial resources.

Why it matters: A system reliant on paperwork, fees and in-person appointments — in a world where more secure, more efficient digital alternatives exist — makes life all the harder for Americans who haven't done anything wrong.

Backstory: The beach was to blame. It was gorgeous and mostly empty, along the side of a dirt road. My girlfriend, Kristen, and I pulled over, locked the rental car and went for a swim.

We'd planned to fly home the next morning. Since Kristen still had her passport, and last-minute, one-way tickets are crazy expensive, she went ahead. The closest U.S. consulate where I could obtain an emergency passport was a six-hour drive (plus a ferry ride) away. And it was closed until Monday.

The big picture: I'm financially privileged enough to afford these unexpected costs, including the loss of a normal workday. But not everyone is in my situation, and their government leaves them hanging.

When I asked the U.S. State Department about why things work this way, especially for people like the woman without money, a spokesperson pointed me to this webpage, which says the fees may be waived in some "extraordinary circumstances," and the government does sometimes provide loans to those without travel funds.

The bottom line: The embassy staffers in Italy were courteous and professional. They ultimately got me my emergency passport in just one hour (it's purple!), enabling me to fly home late Monday night. Kristen met me upon arrival.