Seven Ways I Keep in Touch With Home While Traveling Abroad

Since the advent of and widespread availability ofmembers as if the calls were local calls. Skype in
the internet it has become simpler tosome cases is cheaper, but only when making
communicate inexpensively with anyone in anycalls to other Skype members.
part of the world. That is a real blessing for4. AIM, Yahoo, & MSN Online Instant Messaging.
travelers and expats living abroad. It has notEach of these can be used when your established
always been that way and no one appreciatesfriends and relatives are online. The messages are
this modern technology more than I do. My seveninstantaneous but has the limitation of only having
main ways of keeping in touch with family andthe capability of messaging while both parties are
friends at home while traveling abroad are listedonline. These message systems are particularly
for you below.appealing to the youth of today, and many adults
In the 1970s my only method of reaching myare being converted to their use.
wife in Florida from India was by telephone. Just5. Facebook & Other Social Network Sites. You
getting the connections set up between the twocan also instant message with Facebook and
countries could take hours. By the early 1990s itsome people do. But Facebook's advantage over
was easier to make international connections butYahoo & similar sites is that you can leave
still slow and inconvenient. I still use landlines andcomments or messages that can be responded
cell phones but making international calls withto at a later time. Posting regularly on Facebook
either is not the best use of your time andcan give your friends a running account of your
money. So how do I communicate with homeactivities at any frequency you desire.
while abroad?6. Online Diaries Or Blogs. The terms are not
mutually exclusive. Any blog can be used as an
1. Cards and letters. This is the only method Ionline diary. There are however specific online
presently use that does not in some way dependdiary services designed specifically for the
on the internet. I still find that friends and relativestraveler. By simply giving your friends the URLS
get a kick out of receiving a picture postcardof these diaries or blogs, they can keep up with
from overseas. The underdeveloped nature ofyour activities.
the postal system or even the lack of one in7. Family Websites. The free Google Apps, for
some countries limits this method.example is designed for families or organizations
2. Email. Ten years ago having email was lessand provides a customized gmail account specific
common. Today it is rare to find anyone withoutto your domain name. However, unless you get
email. Almost everyone today not only has emailthe paid premier edition (still a bargain at $50
but checks it at least once a day. If youryear), you are limited to only 50 user accounts. I
message does not require an immediatehave one, but have to admit that I have only
response, email is a good means ofused it very infrequently.
communication.Keeping in touch with home once meant writing a
3. Internet VOIP Services. VOIP or Voice Overdiary or letter and having it sent by ship or air in a
Internet Protocol is most commonly known asprocess that could take weeks or even months.
internet telephone service. I know of at least aToday, instantaneous communication is not only
dozen providers. My favorites in the last fewpossible but with the internet, has become the
years have been MagicJack and Vonage. Bothnorm. Being able to communicate with family and
provide a "back home" telephone number whichfriends daily if desired makes traveling or even
allows you to make internet calls to familyliving abroad much more enjoyable.