How Technology has Changed Travel

About 12 years ago I started traveling.

When I packed my bags and made a list of the things I would need when I was away to entertain myself and continue to write the list was very short. I had a discman (you know what existed before iPods) a journal a book and of course a camera.

As I am packing for my most recent trip and organizing all the things I will need to write and function while away I see how much times have changed. I need so many things to keep me working on the road.

I REFUSE TO OWN A KINDLE OR A NOOK!!

I will read books until the last one is printed.  Depending on how long my trip is I always take at least two books. This part is my fault. I could save myself some room by just putting books on my tablet but NO! I will not. My tablet has to double as an IPOD now. Thanks to who ever stole mine from the World Travel Market I hope you are enjoying all my Ed Sheeran music! and I can watch Netflix on it. But I can not part with my books.

 

Snapping pics along the way.

I recently acquired a brand new Samsung camera. My old camera is wonderful but I have dropped it so many times the casing is all broken off and you can literally see the inside. At this point it is,sadly, time to retire it. The best part of this new camera?

It has a front screen!

Here’s to taking awesome selfies in front well…EVERYTHING! And I remember when it was normal to have one of those throwaway cameras that you had to crank. But do I just take my camera? Of course not! I have a smart phone! So I take both and spend my time switching between the two. Being a travel blogger can be exhausting.

The age of apps.

However the most important thing for travel bloggers comes not as a device but simply as apps. To think I traveled with out these for so many years. I have been using Twitter and Facebook for some time and both have proved to be great when trying to keep in touch when I was away. Now I have Instagram , Vine, Google Plus and Pinterest. It used to be no one knew where I was when I was away now people can literally follow every picture I take and move I make. I was going to try to take vine videos for this upcoming trip and incorporate it in to a few future blog posts but I am not sure I am there yet.

I want to experiment with how it can bring the trip to life for people who have not gone.

When I bought my tablet it was with every intention to use it to write on the road. I even bought a blue tooth keyboard to make it easier. However it proved to not be easier. It is awkward and hard for me to write on a tablet and for some reason Word Press is always giving me problems on it.

Let me introduce my new Lenovo Think Pad!

TADA!!!

 

She is beautiful and much easier to travel with then my other laptop.

I will be using her to write posts on the road. Which will be extremely helpful since I will be on the road a lot this year.

Regardless of all of the new technology in my life I cant help but still bring guide books and journals with me. I can’t part with them.

What do you take with you when you go away? Can you suggest a great travel app for me?