7 Ways to Keep the Home Fires Burning on Your Travels
Photo from Flickr by whatatravisty
So, you’re off on a glorious, globetrotting adventure. The bags are packed. The tickets booked. All that’s left are the tearful farewells. However, once the soggy hankies have been cast aside, how can you ensure that you won’t be forgotten about, becoming ‘That guy/girl we used to know who swanned off to Thailand’? Here are a few tips on how to keep yourself top of mind with all of the nearest and dearest you left behind… for now at least.
Social Media – The phrase ‘Getting away from it all’ or ‘Disappearing off round the world’ sound very out dated in today’s world of satellite technology, high-speed internet connections, and smart phones. It is astonishingly easy to brag inform the folks back home of your every move with the wonders of Facebook, Twitter and alike.
Write a Blog – Go into more depth about where you are, whom you are with and what you are getting up to by writing a blog. You can get a bit more personal with what you write and it will be a great memento for when your travels come to an end, if they ever do. If you generate enough interest, you might even be able to make a bit of money from it! If not there’s always online gaming like Hulk slots!
VOIP – As long as you have a camera in your laptop or phone and a big fat internet connection, you can reassure your friends and family that you are still alive and well by checking in via Skype etc. Finding a good window that works for everyone when timelines are involved can be tricky, but seeing the person you are talking to is an amazing comfort and important for all involved.
Remember Birthdays – Keeping track of days of the week, or even what month it is can be a challenge when you are travelling, however, sending a bunch of flowers to your mum on her birthday via international flower delivery service will mean more to her than anything. Unless you are somewhere with zero communications, there is no excuse!
Post Stuff Back –The sort of clothes and kit you need might vary from country to country. There will also be souvenirs that you will want to hang on to that are too heavy to cart around. One solution is to post it back to someone at home, but remember to reimburse any import duty that might have to pay when it is collected.
Entice Friends Over – Most of your friend will be green with envy when you clear off, longing to feel the wind in their hair and sand beneath their toes. Why not bully encourage them to come and join you for a couple of weeks somewhere on your journey. You can be their ‘Man on the ground’ and do all the research for them so that they just have to turn up and have fun.
Send a Post Card – Believe it or not, not everyone is on Facebook, or even online for that matter. The time old tradition of sending post cards might seem a bit cheesy, but dear old auntie Edith will be over the moon to hear from her long lost nephew/niece from whichever sunny spot you have happen to be. They also provide a physical document of your journey, a rare commodity in our computerised, virtual world.
