While you're abroad, or even if you're traveling in the country, keep in touch with global phone cards. Cell phones can stop working at any time, subjected to the rigors of travel. Roaming and long distance charges for cell phones can also be atrocious. I prefer the Pingo Global Phone Cards
particularly when I'm in the U.S. I can order one in advance online and carry it in my wallet.
Always be prepared.
Click on Image for Enlargement
I find that as I travel, some countries favor one chat client over another, and soon you have to have five programs open to keep up with all the friends met along the way. Having many chat programs open can really slow down your computer. And then there's the three MSN Messenger accounts I monitor (home office computer, laptop computer and a mobile phone). With Meebo I can monitor all of my chats with a single program, including multiple MSN Messenger accounts.
Meebo currently supports chat rooms and MSN Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, ICQ, Jabber, Google Talk and AOL Instant Messenger (AIM). It's the traveler's dream, especially in areas where internet connection speeds aren't the best. If you have a blog you can add a Meebo widget to your sidebar, making you accessible to your friends and fans.
You can download Meebo free.
If you're a single laptop traveler, foreign attraction will most likely give you the opportunity for romance in your travels.
So do you have a whirlwind fling or attempt to make something more? The two of you could live on opposite sides of the world. Your goals, dreams, aspirations and culture will likely be completely different. But for now, you have this moment, this time when your dissimilar paths cross. You feel alive, in love. Do you go for it and enjoy the time that you have together? Or is it better to deny your feelings, close that door and lock your heart away?
If you have actual feelings for the other person beyond attraction, the situation can be very complicated. There are no good answers, so talk the situation out with the other person. How long will you two be together? Are you likely to see each other again? How do you both feel about long-distance relationships? Can you handle a few days or weeks of love followed by a sad but necessary breakup? Only the two of you can answer those questions.
If you decide to proceed, be truthful with yourself. Recognize that the unusual situation can intensify everything, both the good and the bad. Enjoy your time together, but do not place expectations on the relationship. When it's over, part on good terms. Exchange email addresses and phone numbers, leaving the door open for the future. At the same time, it would be better not to wrap up your future dreams and expectations in what are ultimately two ships passing in the night.
It is becoming increasingly more common to meet people online and have a friendly face waiting when you arrive at the next destination. If you decide to add cyberdating to your travel itinerary, it's important to be honest about your intentions. If you're completely up front it is possible to date exciting people on your travels. Dating people from other cultures can enrichen your travel experience. However, if you entertain false hopes of a more permanent relationship, or lead your partners into expecting more, you're likely look back upon a string of heartbreaks.
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Here are a couple of URLs you can use to locate a CyberCafe/NetCafe while traveling:
CyberCafes.com
World66 Search for Netcafes
Cybercafe Search Engine
Sorry for the lapse in writing to this blog. I’ve been trying to run three businesses on the move, fit in some northern travel and maintain 4 blogs. (Look for a post on the zen of laptop travel in the near future :-).
I was browsing through Mac | Life magazine a few days ago and came across a wonderful solution for maintaining multiple cross-platform blogs. MacJournal lets me write posts, with photos and other media, on my computer in a single application and then post them directly to my WordPress and Movable Type blogs with a singe click. It’s a drag and drop interface so adding pics is a snap. You can download all of your existing posts if you like. It keeps my blogs completely organized.
$40 very well spent!
For my iPod Touch (works with iPhone as well) I purchased the iBlogger application, enabling me to make a blog post from just about anywhere whenever I get a spare minute.
This page contains an archive of all entries posted to Laptop Travel Lifestyle in the Communication category. They are listed from oldest to newest.
Destinations is the next category.
Many more can be found on the main index page or by looking through the archives.
