The techie traveller

Kate and I have gone on numerous trips in the last ten years.  This is the first trip that we decided to bring along our computer.  The are numerous advantages and disadvantages to being a techie traveller.  

The advantages are obvious, we can tap into wireless networks and use our computer for all sorts of things.  We skype with our family, letting them see Jaden grow up.  In fact, they probably see him more now than they would if we were in Santa Barbara.  We email and call friends (gmail phone is awesome, 1 cent a minute to call the US from Chile).  We check Facebook and we stay up to date on world and US news.  Kate stays on top of her picture album projects and I update this blog when I can.  We also use the internet to study Spanish and learn about the Chilean culture.  Overall it's a wonderful thing right?

As great as it is, there are some pitfalls traveling with technology.  On previous trips, Kate and I spent a lot of time talking, reading, playing games and exploring.  We still spend a lot of time exploring but we find we spend a lot less time reading and playing games.  Why?  We have the ability to connect with friends and family, watch TV, movies, etcetera at our finger tips, all the time.  We found that after the first week or so of traveling that we really wanted to watch our favorite and only tv show (not to be revealed due to embarrassment).  We accessed www.hulu.com and realized that due to copyright issues we couldn't watch that show or any show on hulu out of the country.  Did that stop us? I don't think so.  I went to the Chile forum, which is a forum for foreigners in Chile.  I queried how to watch US shows in the Chile.  I quickly found that I could download a program that would route my Chilean IP address to a US IP address before accessing any US Internet sites.  10 minutes later we were watching our favorite show.  Two nights later, after a long day of traveling, we thought we'd watch a movie.  Easy!  

Recently, two days ago, I realized that I was watching more TV here than we ever watched in the US.  That coupled with the easy access to the internet and all the wonderful connections we make in email, skype, facebook, etc... we weren't talking as much, playing games, or reading like we use to or would like to.  That said, we've decided to make more of a concerted effort to stay away from the pitfalls of the computer.  We'll still skype, email, blog and facebook.  But we won't be watching TV or downloading movies from the internet near as often.  It will be a tasty treat to relax to on occasion, once a week, but not a staple of our daily diet.  

Hopefully with that in mind, the computer will only enrich our adventures, not take away from them.  We're here to do something different and immerse ourselves in a different culture, not that of the good ol' USA.

As promised here's a little treat from Jaden to you...