Top 5 Ways I Contact my Family and Friends When Travelling

Top 5 Ways I Contact my Family and Friends When Travelling

If you have followed my journeys on here since the site’s birth, you will know I how much technology and I are not friends. I personally hate small gadgets. I detest “tablets” with a passion and assume the name only to be associated with medication. Time after time I refused to own any type of phone, once preaching that no backpacker should ever own a Smart Phone. In Australia I didn’t even have a phone for half my time in the country, never mind one that can take photos or play music. Again and again and again this week another lapdog broke meaning I’ve gone through 6 lapdogs [sic] in 8 years of travel blogging as well as 12 hard drives. Technology is my best friend and my worst enemy. I couldn’t run this website without a lapdog or the internet, but yet technology always lets me down. Always. I would kick some ass as a travel blogger if I could find a working lapdog believe me. These days I’ve a huge confession to make – I now own and know how to use a Smartphone. I’m on Instagram and What’s App and this week I’ve even sent emails from a Smartphone. I hated it of course, but it was that or nothing as I sort out my upcoming travels and face more setbacks with my Backpacking Centurion book launch. When I get my new laptop (OK so it’s not a dog) this weekend, expect a barrage of blog posts, better updates and some changes round here.

Ways to keep touch with friends and family

In the meantime these are my personal 5 favourite ways to contact my family and friends when I travel.

1. Postcards
Everywhere I go I always send my brother a postcard as a physical memory of the place I have been. I also love visiting the post office and getting stamp as souvenirs of that country. You can also use the company Race It Home to send the postcards.

My brother’s postcards from Honduras including Tegucigalpa…

2. Letters/Cards
I come from a traditional family and we still send each other cards and letters. Every Christmas and Birthday I send my parents, brothers and sister a card and they do the same for me. However with my friends we normally wish each other Happy Birthday on Facebook because they move about like me and I don’t always know where they live.

Birthday cards, my Guinness in Malaysia, 2013

3. Skype
For me, Skype is my favourite way to contact my family when I travel. I was recently in Tallinn in Estonia and I found out that the quirky Estonians invented Skype. I use it every week.

My Dad plays guitar to me from Northern Ireland to Australia

4. E-mail
Of course email is probably the most common communication method these days by modern travellers. But it lacks soul, emotion and feeling because you do not see or hear the person or receive a physical letter. Despite this, I email my family once a week at least.  Facebook and Twitter are my means of keeping up to date with friends and I use different ways to follow football.

Emailling on my travels

5. Smartphones
A late entry and an unexpected one for you all, but I am here now, I’ve finally joined the Smart Phone generation. Yes I am a budget backpacker who owns a Smartphone. While I don’t use it everyday, especially not to make calls, I’ve worked out how to use the camera on it (will use it for Instagram and Whats App only) and the internet. You can also easily buy an International Sim card for as cheap as $19. Lots of backpackers love to buy this card because they are travelling through different countries and changing mobile networks frequently. An International Sim Card saves time, effort and the money.

Quick take a photo. I’m using a Smart Phone!

I’ll update again as soon as I can and from a new lapdog/top. Safe travels.