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Why Should a Traveler Use Technology?
August 21st, 2009 · General
Nearly a quarter of a century ago I traveled around Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bangladesh with my then girlfriend, now wife, Nancy. We took along my trusty, heavy-duty Pentax K-1000 camera to capture the spectacular sights we encountered. Back then we used rolls of film to store our pictures on – 36 exposures to a roll! We accumulated roll after roll and stashed them somewhere in our panniers until we finally lugged them back to the States to be developed. Only then could we see our photos for the first time and share them with others.
Over the past two decades technology has made a drastic impact not only on how we create, store and display our cherished memories, but it has also produced ways to share them with a worldwide audience in formats once limited to movie sets or recording studios. On the trip I took 25 years ago my options were extremely limited: use film to produce either prints or slides. I could share them in a photo album or in a slideshow using one of those old fashioned slide projectors – but only after I returned from the trip.
Wow, how things have changed! Now it’s possible to snap a picture somewhere up in the Himalayas and display it to the entire world within a matter of minutes. In addition to pictures, we can express ourselves through journals, podcasts, and videos. Friends, family, and anyone with internet access can virtually become part of our trip sharing our experiences along with the ups and downs of travel.
There are many reasons to bring the latest technological gadgets along with you on your next journey. Here are a few things travelers can do with technology while on the road:
- Create a virtual adventure for others to become part of: Family, friends or anyone with internet access can experience your trip. Twenty-five years ago family members would only get a post card every few weeks or so. Today they can watch videos of what we did the previous day or read a daily journal complete with pictures and audio accounts of what we are currently doing. Here is one such example.
- Benefit nonprofit organizations: Children in fifty underprivileged classrooms in New York City are following our adventures (via Reach the World) as we make our way from Alaska to Argentina. The journey is integrated into their curriculum through our pictures, videos, and journals. Here is an example.
- Become a part of a virtual travel community: There are many virtual communities where, by posting entries about your trip, others can learn about practicalities of it and decide if they would like to do a similar one. Here is an example.
- Join a social network: Meet others people by sharing your adventure on a social network such as Twitter, Facebook, or YouTube. Here is an example.
Technology has opened up new possibilities that were not even dreamed of a few years ago. By sharing your adventures, in real time, with a worldwide audience, today’s traveler can remain connected with old friends and create new friends as the same time.