Adventures of a nomad

Is unplugging really necessary?

Brave New Traveler has a very interesting article today on the merits of 'unplugging' while travelling.

In it, the author goes through  various tech addictions that are best done without while travelling in order to get the most out of the experience.

I can admire this sort of Zen-like 'being at one with the holiday' style of thinking, but I think I'm too addicted to being 'switched on' to be able to detach my digital umbillical cord. As a large part of my job is keeping my finger on the pulse for all things tech-related, not being able to keep a careful eye on my RSS feeds would just be too stressful while I was on holiday.

Don't get me wrong - I wouldn't check my email, Facebook and feeds with the same maniac fervor that I currently do during the workday. But first thing in the morning or while winding down for the day, I really don't see the harm in staying connected to my digital lifestyle.

So, with no further ado, I'm going to go through the five technologies that the author says we should try and do without and put in a strong case for how they can actually enhance a holiday.

Travel-friendly tech: what should I bring with me?

Something that's been weighing on my mind a lot (because I'm a geek) is what tech I should bring with me overseas. I've read lots of blogs on the matter with interest, such as Gina Trapiani's post on Getting Things Done While Travelling Through South-East Asia and the Zen Habits' 36 Great Tips for Keeping Travel as Simple as Possible.

Gina mentions that Wi-Fi is spotty but Internet cafes are in abundance, so bringing a laptop isn't advisable. Fair enough, but I don't know if I could handle not having my own computer. Plus, since we'll have our own place (I'm thinking a nice two-story, two bedroom), I'll most likely get Internet access happening.

The other question is: what phone do I bring? I don't think I can really justify bringing more than one, but it leaves me with a bit of a pickle. My current favourite is the iPhone, but it's not conducive for taking longs notes on the road, is limited in terms of software it can run (I'd like to load my phone with eBooks of guidebooks, phrasebooks and just general fiction to pass the time), and doesn't look like it would hack a traveller's lifestyle too well (although I suppose I could get a case for it?).