The other day, I came across this article from The Telegraph about how having a smartphone has ruined travel.
The entire time, I giggled, agreed, enthusiastically shared it with friends, and lamented my newish relationship with my phone.
Ah, traveling before smartphones was a simpler, more enjoyable time.
…Or was it?
I started thinking of all of the things I would not have experienced if I had had a phone to help me out.
I wouldn’t have learned first-hand that putting the period in the wrong place when withdrawing Luxembourg francs cost approximately $10,000, not $100 (Dad learned this the hard way at an ATM).
I would have searched for the best calzone in Venice (which is a subjective search, to be fair) instead of stumbling into a restaurant with 16” calzones and an enthusiastic chef.
Hell, I might have sent fabulous, closely edited pictures of China to my parents immediately in 2003 instead of having to wait for the (sometimes not-so-great) pictures to develop.
It was a simpler time.
However, I think that today – in this age of smartphones – there is a lot of power, and there are a lot of benefits to traveling with a smartphone.
It can connect people, it can help bridge cultural differences, and it can securely store travel plans.
… But this doesn’t mean that Snapchatting everything is absolutely necessary.
Here are ten things I love about traveling with a smartphone.
1. Constant access to books.
Let’s talk about just how many books I had to bring in my suitcase when I moved abroad.
Would five be enough? (Nope.)
Where can I get new books? Should I lovingly con my mother into sending me more books?
Now, I simply download books from my library onto my tablet or phone (I talked about how great it was here). I have successfully downloaded books in every country I’ve visited, as soon as I had a wireless connection.
Because of my love for overland travel, e-books are my key to happiness for those 3+ hour train, boat, ferry, car, or plane rides.
And my bag is lighter as a result!
2. Music connects people.
I can’t tell you how many times I have used my music to connect with others.
From roof-top hostel jams to beach music to YouTube parties during storms, having access to swaths of music created memories I will not soon forget.
On the six-hour third-class train from the Thai border with Cambodia at Aranyaprathet to Bangkok, I befriended the girl sitting across from me.
There’s a lot to be said about sharing water, smiles, face wipes, and granola bars.
Between us, I knew 5 words of Thai and she knew about 10 in English.
She pointed to my phone, I unlocked it, and she selected the music app.
“Pop.” she said.
I played her as much Taylor Swift as I could find on my phone.
Eventually, she furrowed her brow and said “pop”… “hpop”… “hipop”… “hip hop”
Ah. No wonder TayTay wasn’t working.
Where would I have been without music?
3. Wandering is still an option… but now you can recover from missteps.
I’m a huge fan of wandering side streets until… forever.
I also wholeheartedly believe in asking someone on the street for directions in whatever broken words I have attempted to learn in the host language.
However, I love being able to have access to at least a map of an area with Google Maps after connecting to WiFi once in the city.
I was ambling aimlessly in Stockholm until I was way off of the paper map I had (ha HA! Still using paper maps!).
If I hadn’t had my phone, that would have been an expensive taxi ride back… If I could have found a taxi.
4. Connecting with family back home is easier than ever.
I know, I’m supposed to advocate for complete immersion into a culture, and I do.
But sometimes it’s nice to be able to check in with family.
Or gloat about your amazing experiences (within reason).
Or find out when things are going on that you might be interested in knowing.
For example, my dad didn’t learn about his grandmother’s death until 6 weeks after she passed away since he was living in Botswana at the time.
Also, I learned about my aunt’s passing one week after it happened when I was studying in the Dominican Republic in 2006.
It went like this:
Dad: Just got back from visiting family!
Me: Great! How is everyone?
Dad: They’re doing well! It was good to see everyone at the funeral.
Me:…
Dad:…
Me:… Who died?!
It might have been nice to learn about this before the funeral.
5. Language learning and translation apps are just a touch away.
So you’ve probably tried to learn a little of the local language, but sometimes you need a little extra help.
We’ve all been there when we use the wrong word and end up offending people.
(For the record, pronouncing the Korean province “Jeolla” as joe-la is horrendously offensive.)
Between Duolingo for practice and many translation apps, you can communicate far easier in your host country. Maybe you can even offend fewer people with the help of your smartphone!
6. Pictures, pictures, pictures!
Yes, there is such a thing as taking too many pictures, too many selfies, and having too much connection to social media.
However, if we remain responsible with our social media usage and don’t only focus on Instagramming and Snapchatting all of the things, having a really strong camera on our phones is fantastic.
When my camera summarily died in the middle of the rainforest in Costa Rica, I could still take high quality pictures of the landscape because of my phone.
The only downside to ubiquitous cameras is having to empty out your photos to have enough storage!
7. Safely storing and having access to travel plans and documents.
When I traveled internationally in my youth, I made sure to have multiple copies of all of the things stashed throughout my luggage, on my person, on my carry-on, and of course back at home.
Now, I have pictures of all of my credit cards, license, passport, travel documents, and itinerary stored on my smartphone, which is password-protected.
Oh yeah – I also have this information stored in my email.
And on my Google Drive.
And with my parents.
And I bring paper documents.
Being prepared for anything is critical to resolving any problems. In the event that all of my luggage catches fire and I’ve lost my passport, my phone, copies of everything, or money, I could still feasibly access my information via the Internet.
The Cloud is powerful.
(Bonus point: This is why it’s important to register for the STEP program and be prepared for an emergency abroad!)
8. Access to online journaling or blogging software is easy.
As a study abroad advisor, I always encourage students to either write in a journal to document their experiences or start a travel blog.
Everyone processes experiences in different ways, but journaling is a great way to remember details that would be lost in time without documentation.
Now that I have a smartphone, I type all of my journal entries either on my Notepad or my travel blog. Then, I write everything in my journal when I get back home.
I’m very conscious about weight restrictions on luggage, so this is huge for me!
9. Even in remote locations, my phone has a compass.
I can’t be the only one out there who loves using the compass on my phone.
Am I?
*crickets*
Okay, moving on…
10. Despite traveling with a phone, I have the power to put it away and disconnect simply by not being on WiFi or data.
I find it so much easier to disconnect from social media when I am traveling.
I’m too cheap to buy a data plan for when I’m traveling, so when I’m out and meandering, I don’t have access to that brain-suck that is the Internet.
Sure, I take pictures and read things and try not to get hit by cars (looking at you, Italy, Thailand, and Korea), but I still am focused on the destination.
The moral of the story is that traveling has changed because of the advent of the smartphone and social media, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s for the worse.
I guess Uncle Ben was right when he said “with great power comes great responsibility.” As long as we use our phones for good, they are powerful tools that can enhance our travel experiences.
What do you think about traveling with a smartphone? Is it ruining travel or making it better? Share in the comments below!
Related reading:
10 Ways to Save Money While Living Abroad
Study Abroad Guide: Preparation Phase
What to Do During an Emergency Abroad
11 Things You Need to Research Before Traveling
Why You Should Use the STEP Program