Some Tips for Staying in Touch
While some of us travel to escape the constant communication of the modern world, many of us still feel the need to keep in touch with friends, family and loved ones while we travel into distant lands. The traditional modes of communication, however, can be hard to find in the far corners of the world. Here are a few tips for staying in touch:
1. International Phones Get an international phone or calling plan and you'll have the ability to call home whenever you want. The downside is that international calls can get expensive fast...but the upside is that you can chat with people on the other side of the planet. I mean... sure, it's a bit pricey but Columbus would have killed for this kind of technology!
2. Time Zones Before leaving for a trip, think of who you'll want to contact, find out when they'll be available, and then calculate what time it will be for you when you're halfway across the world. Your friends will appreciate that you're not calling at 3am and you'll be happy that they'll be awake when you call.
3. Internet Cafes This is always my first stop when arriving in a new city. Being able to get online and spend a few minutes reconnecting with home allows me to brush off any travel stress I may have. After that I can explore the wonders of whatever new city I am in without worrying about emails or wondering how everything is going at home.
4. Skype Skype is a Voice-Over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) program, which is a fancy way of saying that it allows you to make calls over the Internet. Skype and other VoIP applications allow you to call home whenever you have WiFi, so when you're in that Internet cafe in Istanbul or Tokyo or Mumbai you will still have the ability to hear your loved ones' lovely voices (and see their beautiful faces) in real time from all the way across the globe. Anyone else have any tips? Post them in comments! -Grahame
