Off the grid – travel and technology

One of the things my husband and I disagree about most when we travel is access to technology. For him, available (and preferably FREE) Wi-Fi is one of the main criteria of our destination and accommodation. For me, not so much.

Sure, posting on Facebook and Instagram is fun when you’re on holidays, and I also often work when I am away so internet can be handy.

But I LOVE going somewhere were I literally don’t even have the option. I am OFF THE GRID.

I read this article the other day from one of my favourite lifestyle bloggers. Chantelle described her anxiety at travelling to Heron Island where there was no connectivity. And the freedom she felt once she got there, and got used to it.

It’s like taking a trip back in time. At home, we pretty much have no choice. With data on our phones and wifi in our houses, we literally step between one connected area into another and we can never escape the emails, Facebook updates or notifications.

But when we travel, we have the option to do just that.

I recently (and sneakily) got my way when we travelled as a family to an island off the coast of Mexico. The hotel only had Wi-Fi in the lobby area and not in the rooms or on the beach where we spent most of our time. I conceded to the small patch in the reception area as I didn’t want to rock the boat too much with hubby (it was his holiday too, and as it was mid-AFL season I knew he would be primarily getting footy scores, and not checking work email).

It was such a release.

I could lie back on a sunlounger, free to think about anything but work and the world outside of my little patch of beach. I could concentrate on my daughter without ‘phubbing’ her (yes, there is a term for ‘phone snubbing’) and I could reconnect with MYSELF. Let my own thoughts be dominant instead of a million other voices, and allow my heart to stop racing with all of the things I normally need to do online.

I feel like the internet has changed the way we travel. I watch people Instagramming and Facebooking their way around the world, not really stopping to see the view from outside of their phone screen. Perhaps our generation has started to see travel as more of a trophy, than an experience? Or perhaps its just an inevitability.

I love taking photos as much as the next person. But when I travel, it is generally through the lens of my SLR camera and not my phone. That way, I don’t feel inclined to immediately upload it to social media, and I also get a better picture.

Each to their own, but I certainly love hearing other people’s thoughts about the topic.

Do you ever use travel to escape from technology? Tell me in the comments below.