Plugged Travel: My Digital Addiction
I booked the first part of my summer 2013 trip yesterday. Without giving away too much, let’s just say that one of the locations is fairly remote (yet still within the United States) and does not offer any sort of wifi, paid or otherwise (nor is 3G available). I immediately began whining about the fact that I’d have to go without internet for Four. Whole. Days.
And my husband was all like:
Can this trip please not be a live blogging event? It’s going to be a live blogging event, isn’t it? Oh god–am I going to have to sit there while you tweet what should Doug order for dinner #feeddoug #bacon?
But he said the word ‘hashtag’ in place of the actual hashtags.
And while no, I’m not going to make it a live blogging event–because the length and scope of the trip would render such and undertaking unsustainable–I am going to be constantly taking excessive amounts of notes and photos, spending my late evenings writing posts rather than sleeping, and generally being a travel blogger the entire time. And my husband-slash-travel-partner is not pleased.
He has a valid point. Most people travel–or, rather, vacation–to get away from the world. To retreat. To disconnect. Personally, I can’t imagine a worse fate. Two weeks ago, when Hurricane Sandy came to town, I dealt with it rather well. I watched the siding blow off our house (act of nature, what can you do?) I heated up hot water on the camp stove to take a bath (just like my hippie music festival days in college–pass the patchouli!) and wrapped myself in layers of flannel and fleece (not slimming, but who cares? I have cheese in a can!)
It was a long, cold four days. But all I cared about was finding a way to stay connected. Clean and warm could wait.
In short, I have no desire to unplug. None whatsoever. I own a car adapter that allows me to charge my laptop and I know most McDonald’s restaurants have wifi that reaches the parking lot (and I’m not afraid to sit there and use it). I’ve charged my iPhone in countless inappropriate places, from an outlet behind an outside produce stand at a grocery store in Northern California to a I-might-be-raped-in-here public restroom in New Orleans (seriously, it was frightening and complete with flickering florescent bulb).
In my real life, I’m a teacher. Tonight at parent-teacher conferences, I met many parents who said something along the lines of ‘yeah–I just don’t ‘get’ computers’. And after suppressing my urge to gag and cough due to pure shock and awe, I thought: that must be so relaxing. I literally can not even imagine what that would be like. And I hope I never have to find out.
Do you unplug when you travel? If so, please share tips below. Because sometimes travel forces me to unplug, and I could sure use some coping methods.
Photo Credit: A mere fifteen hours or so after the conversation that spawned this post–the hashtag feed Doug conversation–I saw this New Yorker cartoon on Facebook. So I made it the header photo because, well, it completely goes along with this whole post. Thank you, New Yorker. I love your cartoons.
Luckily, my husband and I BOTH hate to be unplugged so one of the first things we check about a location is if it offers wireless. We can do wired, but we prefer wireless. We have actually paid an exorbitant amount of money on a cruise to stay jacked in, now we just try to get it comped as part of our travel writing. I was a teacher also for twenty years and one of the most disconcerting things I faced was when I started blogging and parents would come up and had read my stuff. I had to constantly be aware and careful of what I was writing about as I was writing more personal stuff then rather than travel. Anyway – you are not alone!
Yeah–I hate wired connections, and I hate cruise ship fees even more. I paid $20 for three days worth of REALLY SPOTTY wifi in Bermuda, which required standing in a very specific spot on the port side of the ship and waving my iPhone in the air.
I was also forced to use a super-old PC with dial up connection and internet explorer when staying outside of Yosemite (no bars there, either). It was traumatic, but at least I had some way to continue working and communicating. It’s an addiction, really. One that I’m not likely to give up any time soon!
You are very lucky that your husband understands your connectivity needs. Mine would just as soon leave his computer (and even his phone) at home (can you IMAGINE?!?)
Oh and–re the teacher thing–I’m doing parent-teacher conferences all week, and it is a bit shocking how many parents tell me that they’ve read this blog. And while I do try to maintain a professional (ish) tone on here, I don’t write for the audience of my students. This is something that was hard for me to do–separate my teacher-self from my self-self–but my year off last year really made that happen. I no longer plan to live my whole life as though I’m being watched by students. Even if I am. I’m a human being first–a traveler and a blogger second. And I just so happen to teach school for a living (for now). That’s how I have to look at it. I’m much happier this way!
Hubby now HAS to stay pretty connected because he’s the CFO of our famiy business. He checks emails, etc. constantly. We weren’t so connected back when we were able to do the long(ish) international trips. Now he has an Iphone 5, a mini ipad, a laptop and a desktop! I inherit his hand-me-down technology. My main thing is being able to get phone calls, cause I’m the one ‘they’ call if anything happens to my mother-in-law or mom, etc. IF we are able to start ‘real’ travel again this summer (fingers crossed)I don’t know how all this will impact us. Huge cell phone bills? Who knows.
Ok- first guesses on your 2013 summer trip— Outer Banks of NC? North Dakota? (if so, let me know cause hubby’s cousin is the head vet of a zoo there), Oregon?
Well that’s 3 guesses… probably not even in the ball park.
As to your guesses–no, close, and close. Does that help?
In my daily life, I am plugged in almost 24/7. I sit in front of a computer all day and most of the evening. I actually do like to “unplug” while traveling, at least with my husband (if I’m traveling solo then I want connection to people). I don’t have a laptop but I will bring my Kindle Fire on trips with me, though I usually only use it at night in the hotel room to check email before I go to bed. The only other time I would ever use it while traveling is on a plane or a train, when I need something to occupy my time anyway. I have my cell phone with me but I don’t have a smart phone, so no internet. Crazy, right?
No–not crazy. Not crazy at all. In fact, I think you just described most people’s travel technology habits. I think that’s normal and healthy.
Of course, that means that I’M abnormal and unhealthy! But I’ve known that for years!
OK- second try
Wyoming?
Washington state?
Montana?
I think I remember you saying you wanted something different from your ‘normal’ environment- right? All those would be very different. Though Doug should be aware that they can be as hot as the south at times.
Yes. Yes. Yes.