When I first traveled to Vietnam in the early ’90’s, a phone call to the U.S. cost nearly $3/minute – a prohibitive amount for a young backpacker. But beyond writing a letter, it was the only mode of communication with anyone outside of Vietnam. There was no Internet, no Skype, no cell phones or SIM cards. There weren’t even ATM’s. (OK – there was ONE ATM in Hanoi and there was a bank charge of $18 to use it!)
A recent blog post from Matt Keegan got me longing for those days of being unplugged while traveling and thinking how many of us can truly do that today.
In Matt’s post, Freelancing Angst: When the Work Never Ends, he acknowledges how difficult it is to unplug in this economy where we feel we MUST be online at all times in order to get that next client (or someone else will). Wisely, Matt recognizes that if he didn’t give himself a break, something would give. And, as he explains, “That ‘give’ would likely come in the form of harming my health; neglecting my wife and children; or simply failing to deliver my best work because I’m tired all of the time.”
But in an ever-growing competitive culture, a 140-character attention span and Facebook apps that keep you connected, always, it IS hard to allow yourself a break. If it’s possible to stay connected, a person will – it’s too tempting not to and, really, it’s expected of us.
There aren’t many places in the world left where it’s possible to unplug. Bhutan is one of them. While things are definitely changing there, fortunately it’s not happening very quickly. Internet service can be found at some hotels and in cafe’s in the country’s capital, Thimphu. Even if you can find a connection, however, it doesn’t guarantee that the computer will actually work! During my trip there in April, one hotel’s computer was infected with a virus, another one was acting quirky enough (probably a virus) that pages loaded very slowly and at another hotel, the manager had forgotten his password and couldn’t log in. It wouldn’t have been so comical if I had different expectations but I knew it was unlikely that I’d be able to blog or use my email while in-country so I let go of it from the moment I got off the plane in Paro.
This constant need for connection is not healthy: Not for our minds, bodies, relationships or travel. We end up disassociating from all of these things and burying our heads in our laptops or iPhones. It used to be that people complained that cameras took one away from truly experiencing a moment. HA – that’s the least of our problems now!
Our “game” is better when we give ourselves downtime. We become better friends, sisters, daughters, mothers. But beyond the ill-effects to our relationships, when we stay connected when we’re traveling, it takes away from the experience of being on the road – the reason why we’ve left home in the first place.
(I’m not immune to it – that’s me at a tiny internet cafe in Mumbai.)
I run my own business so I can fall into the “gotta-stay-connected-trap” just as easily as the next gal. But here are some things I do to help myself unplug while I’m on the road.
- I never carry my laptop on international trips. There’s a practical reason for this – it’s one less thing I have to worry about – but it also helps me stay focused on immersing myself in the culture.
- I have an awesome assistant who handles all of my phone messages, email, snail mail and website issues while I’m traveling. I then don’t feel like I have to constantly stay in touch. She sends me an email with “Urgent” in the subject if there’s something I have to handle immediately. I can then just skim the subject lines and ignore anything that can wait.
- I carry books (usually digital versions) and I take time to read rather than surfing the internet. Someone is more likely to strike up a conversation with me if I’m reading than if I’m buried in laptop or cell phone and I’m more likely to take a break and enjoy the scenery.
- I don’t Tweet or log in to Facebook when I’m traveling.
- If I’m traveling without Jon, we set up times when we can connect via phone or Skype – this limits the hit or miss chances and keeps me from thinking that I SHOULD be logged in to see if he’s online. Texting (which can be relatively cheap) helps us to coordinate.
Do you try to stay unplugged when you travel? Why or why not? And how do you do it?
Travel Well,
Beth
Photo credit: Vietnam Phone Booth – alex-s
Related links:
Airport Safety = Security Theater?
Airline Fees (Fi Fo Fum)
Pretty Young Thang
Medical Tourism: Dental Work in Bangkok
Understanding Travel Insurance
How Not to be a Trashy Tourist
Booking Advice in Today’s Climate
Carolina says
This post couldn’t have come at a better time for me, I’m leaving for Hawaii this week, and I was agonizing about how much I should stay plugged in or not. The truth is that the thought of having to stay connected while on this particular vacation was making me a bit sick to my stomach. I know I don’t want to check my email while on vacation, I just want to hang out with my son on the beach.
Cheap Traveler says
I’ve done it both ways multiple times and can say without a doubt that you have a far richer experience abroad when you are unplugged most of the time. I have a little beach house in the Yucatan that is intentionally without a TV or Internet access and it’s heavenly. I pick one day a week when I’m going to the Internet cafe and otherwise it’s just fun, sun, and family time. Almost everything can wait a few days, at least in my years of experience as a freelancer. I’ve missed a media interview opportunity now and then, but that’s about it. Definitely worth it.
Geogypsy says
I’ve been thinking about investing in a Blackberry to take to South Africa in March. Or taking my laptop and buying a prepay phone once there. I know it would be possible to stay unplugged, but not sure I really want to. Yet, you’ve given me something to think about.
Donna Hull says
As one who is admittedly addicted to internet, social networking and staying in constant contact, I’ll be re-thinking my approach after reading your thought-provoking post. It’s the idea of getting inundated with unread emails upon my return that keeps me plugged in. Perhaps none of it is as important as I think.
Kelly says
I absolutely stay connected while traveling. For me it’s like a lifeline. I don’t stay connected for any work related reasons. I leave all that stuff back home to deal with when I return. However, I feel a powerful need to share what is happening with me while I travel. This is particularly the case since I mostly travel solo. For me, it almost feels like it didn’t happen if no one else knows about it. While I’m out and about during the day, I’m totally in the moment, but at the end of the day, I like to tell my friends what I’m up to, share a couple pictures, interact a bit. It’s a little bit like bringing them along to me, but without the expense. I think they appreciate knowing what’s going on with me too.
Beth Whitman says
@ Carolina – have a great trip and let us know how the unplugging goes!
@ Cheap Travelers – sounds heavenly!
@ Geogypsy – don’t doooo iiiiiittt 🙂
@ Donna – hire an assistant for your email – you won’t regret it
Nomadic Matt says
I’m glad one of us can unplug but the life of a digital nomad makes it hard for me…
Lorraine says
There should be a field of study on this topic (disconnecting in a plugged-in world). The other day, I made a rule to leave my iPhone charging in the office overnight, instead of on my bedstand. Alert! Just because we have the technology available, doesn’t mean it needs to dictate our doings. We, the people, should still be in charge. I applaud this post, wholeheartedly, and welcome more discussions on the topic.
Zoe Zolbrod says
I like the idea of studying this. I also traveled in Vietnam in the early 90s, and because my formative traveling was done then, my view of unplugged travel is hugely romantic and nostalgic, and I’m committed to it. In fact, I pretend I can’t be reached as much as possible. I just refused to check email when I was gone for a handful of days, and yes, there were a couple messages in my in-box that made my heart race guiltily upon my return. At the very least, I thought, I should have advertised my inaccessibility on every social networking site I belong to, as I had already done for my work contacts. But really, in my life at least, very little needs to be done RIGHT THEN. It’s an illusion. ANd I like the way my mind works when I’m offline.