Technology

My first trip overseas was in 1982 to Paris with my mom and dad who lead a group of girls from mom's high school during a spring break. I don't remember my parents using a phone, but post cards were definitely the social technology of the day.
In 1991, I studied for a semester in Wollongong, Australia. I was dating a girl who was still in New Hampshire. Although we did exchange a few letters, the phone calls were what I looked forward to until she told me she was dumping me for someone else. Both forms of technology were expensive, especially compared with today's technology.
In 2003, I took students to Spain for three months. The internet was in full swing, but wireless wasn't. Email was relatively fast, cheap, and readily accessible. It was the heyday of internet cafes. I was also given a cell phone which linked me 24 hours a day to my students, their families, and my family. There is a downside this. It takes away some of the romanticism of being "out of touch". The upside was I learned quickly of niece Sohpia's birth. I also used my laptop for entertainment. I could rent DVDs and watch them on my laptop.
In 2006, I was back in Spain with another group, this time for only a month. Skype was the rage as it o allowed one to easily and cheaply stay in touch while on the road. However, one still must be tethered in order to say in touch.
In 2007 I went to Yucatan, Mexico. I saw more and more signs for wireless but I didn't travel with my laptop so i still relied on Internet cafes which were still plentiful.
In 2008, in Vietnam and Cambodia. I was amazed at the poorest of the poor villages in Cambodia where there wasn't running water, there was a space with one lightbulb and two computers which was this villages Internet cafe. It was packed with 10-12 kids.
In 2008 I bought my first Iphone and in 2009, I came to Costa Rica. Wireless was here. Access codes were king. Speeds were slow, but now I could check email in the privacy of my hotel room. In 2010, I was downloading books on my Kindle. Now it wasn't just for social communication, but for entertainment.
In 2010 during my first service learning trip to Costa Rica, with my laptop, I kept my first blog.
In 2012, on my first trip to Guatemala I now used my Iphone to not only stay in touch but for photos and my blog. The cost of international roaming is prohibitive, so the airplane mode stays on while I roam for wifi.
In 2013, as I am leaving La Vela Latina I get a Facetime call from Sophia and I was able to show her a little bit of Costa Rica. I downloaded Newsroom season 1 before I left and watched it while I was sick. Yesterday, I downloaded On the Road from Itunes- it took all day to download- and watched it last night.

Compared to others, I am not that tech savvy or that experienced a traveler. I consider myself quite average. But a lot has changed since I started my journeys. Although there are times I am nostalgic for the days of old, I know technology is a useful thing. Take for instance my recent bout of food poisoning. When I got back from the pharmacy, I was able to research the medications she provided me to make sure I knew what I was taking and if I understood her directions correctly. I also have the option to go "dark", shut off the laptop, the iphone, the ipad and just experience Costa Rica, it's nature, its muddy roads, its insects and flora, fauna and get to know its people.