Heading off on a big trip but feeling anxious about leaving your friends and family behind?
Like many who set of on long travel adventures we were a little concerned about missing out on the action back home. During our time away there were pregnancies, births, engagements, new jobs and even retirements!
We were able to stay up to date with all the gossip and even share our own journey with our loved ones with the help of technology.
Here we share some the user-friendly applications and websites that are available to keep you connected with friends and family while on the road.
Facebook is a fantastic way to share photos, travel updates and videos with people anywhere in the world. We enjoyed logging into Facebook every now and again to view pictures of our niece and nephew and feel more connected to what was going on back home. Setting up your own account is easy. Visit all you need to know about signing up and using Facebook.
Skype
Skype’s text, voice and video make it simple to share experiences with the people that matter to you, wherever they are. Skype is great to save money when calling others anywhere in the world and it can be used through computers, phones, tablets and even through the TV!
We downloaded Skype on our laptop to speak, see and instant message our family. Check out the beginners guide to learn how to create an account and use: Skype
FaceTime
If you have an iPhone,iPad or iPad touch making a FaceTime call is a simple way to chat face to face with those back home.
To make a FaceTime call you need the person’s phone number or registered email address and access to WiFi. Find out how to use FaceTime for your next video call.
WhatsApp Messenger is a mobile messaging application which allows you to exchange text messages without having to pay for SMS – very handy for the budget conscious traveller! WhatsApp Messenger is available for iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, Windows Phone and Nokia. Because WhatsApp Messenger uses the same internet data plan that you use for email and web browsing, there is no cost to message and stay in touch with your friends. In addition to basic messaging WhatsApp users can create groups, send each other unlimited images, video and audio media messages.
Postcards
Even with all the technology in the world sometimes the best way to share news from your travels is with good old fashioned snail mail. Buy a stack of stamps and choose the most picturesque postcards you can find to regularly update those back home of your adventures. We found this form of communication was valued much more than a text message as when we returned back home our postcards were still up on our parents fridges!
There’s no need to feel disconnected from family and friends while travelling the country with these user-friendly applications.
