When on your travels, be it for a holiday or work, you still want to keep as up to date as possible with all of the goings on back home. While the internet has given us the opportunity to stay connected no matter where we might be, you don’t want to be the person who spends so much time on their phone that they miss all the wonders that the planet has to offer.

But you may still want to know what’s happening, especially if it is something of significant importance. It can be challenging to watch your friends and families and even your community deal with problems, only for you to feel helpless as you watch it all unfold from the other side of the screen.

And you don’t have to be on your phone twenty-four seven to keep up with whatever is happening back home. But you can still use the internet to this advantage to stay informed and ready to offer some help or contribution whenever you can, no matter where you are.

SNAIL MAIL

For the world traveller, it can be a challenge to keep on top of credit card bills and other essential payments or mail that will no doubt flutter through your letterbox while you are away. If you don’t want to be caught out by missing these payments, regardless of online banking or not, then you can consider investing in a mail forwarding address in the UK, which will act as an online mailbox to ensure you don’t miss a thing.

This saves you trusting that your post will reach you at your home abroad, instead of getting lost in transit. Furthermore, you will be able to keep an online record to save on your computer or tablet so that you will be able to keep organised and keep track of anything that needs paying off along the way while you enjoy the sights and sounds unfamiliar countries.  

NEWS UPDATES

We want to keep up with the news from home as much as possible, and while some places in Europe and the US will provide national papers from home, other countries a bit farther-flung might make this impossible.

But keeping up with the news has never been easier. Downloading free news apps, such anything from BBC News to The Guardian, or whatever other news organisation suits your fancy will ensure that you are constantly kept up to date on all the happenings back home.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Everyone is on social media now, and while some people might be abandoning Facebook, platforms such as Snapchat and WhatsApp are being used more than ever. These, along with keeping a blog of your experiences, are perfect for keeping in touch with both friends and family through group chats where you don’t even need to contribute if you don’t have the time.

The group chat eliminates much of the homesickness that many travellers encounter when they feel like they are missing out on the fun back home, regardless of how much fun they are having wherever they are. It gives you the chance to keep up with in-jokes, relationship developments and any juicy gossip that might have occurred back home.

Additionally, using the video chat services with these platforms, as well as Skype, gives you both the chance to remember what each other looks like and allows for a more natural conversation that can last for hours if need be. This works better than simply showing pictures of where you are, and can help introduce them to anyone you might have met and hung out with along the way.

EMAIL

Social media isn't for everyone, even though it seems the whole world and it's eife are on it, but some people prefer a more private conversation.  This is where email is the better option for long private letters or quick updates between you and just one other person, without what feels like the whole world reading your updates!

OLD-FASHIONED

If you want to go back to the old days, then sending a postcard wherever you go is an excellent and personal way to keep your friends and family up to date with what you are doing. Not only will this allow those back home to get a little souvenir from your travels, it means so much more than a mere message telling them how much fun you are having.

Knowing that you are thinking of them enough to take the time to send a postcard in between all the fun you are no doubt having shows that you haven’t forgotten about them despite whoever else you may have met along the way.

UP TO DATE

There are many different and also unique ways of staying up to date on whatever seems to be happening on the other side of the world. Whether it be engagements, birthdays, elections, or just having a chat with your friends and family, you will be able to stay in touch while you galavant around exotic islands and cities while also ensuring that you don’t miss a thing along the way.