Many travelers go solo around the World. I am not sure if I would have the guts to do the same if I didn’t have a travel partner. It sure takes a lot of balls to go around on your own without the support that a well-known person can offer and that people you meet on the road just won’t be able to match.
I consider myself really lucky for having met Ashray. Even luckier that he actually loves me! Not only is he my best friend and takes care of my emotional needs, he can also manage my technological needs! When we met, I used to be amazed at how many hours this man could spend in front of his laptop. Now, not only am I becoming more and more like him, I am glad he is such a geek and keeps the technological standards in this relationship so high!
GEEK ALERT! Ashray with his new 3DS! :D
Here are 5 advantages of traveling with a geek boyfriend, AKA my little tribute to my very own Sheldon Cooper (or should I say Rajesh Koothrappali?) , only smarter! ;)
1. Always online… GOTTA be online!
The first thing Ashray does when we get to a new country is getting a local SIM card with 3G. Forget about researching the sights we want to visit, the tourist attractions… before we land in a new country, he would have done some proper research on the different mobile internet options available. This is excellent because, thanks to this, you can piggy-back ride with us in real time, as we manage to update our website and tweet as we go!
Ashray has a laptop and an iPad, so I don’t need to carry anything! If he is working on the laptop, I can use the iPad (which comes with a wireless light keyboard). If he is browsing on the iPad, then I become the laptop master.
With a boyfriend that can set up a blog in 5 minutes, all I have to do is focus on creating content (the fun part!) and forget about programming, templates and stuff like that. More time to edit my videos!
Everyone keeps on telling us we should buy travel guides (“how can you travel without a Lonely Planet?!“) but I see them pretty much as heavy books that would only add weight to our bags. With all these means to get online, who needs a printed book? The internet is one huge free encyclopedia where all the best info is at! And you interact with other travelers (like on reddit.com/r/travel) something that a book doesn’t allow you to do!
Our house in Dubai 24 hrs before we left. We didn't have a bed but internet connection was beautiful! :P
2. We’re never lost
Thanks to the GPS on the iPhone we’re never lost and tend to know where to go. This is particularly useful when arriving in a new town and looking for our accommodation. We usually walk around with our backpacks so you don’t want to be walking around town with the bulk. There is time for sight-seeing later…
3. Affordable & decent accommodation that doesn’t come in the guidebooks
Apps, apps, apps! The lovely world of apps! The most recent discovery in this field has been Airbnb.com, which lists an alternative kind of accommodation: spare rooms in peoples homes. Cheap, convenient, friendly… right up our alley! I am not technologically ignorant but I’d be way more unlikely to come across this thing by myself if Ashray didn’t find it. So, kudos for that!
Checking out this Monk's crib in a cave. We visited, but didn't sleep over…
4. Flying around the world with the best deals
If it’s true that Ashray spends almost as much time online as in the “real world” it is also true that this has its advantages not only for him but also for our plans together. He is always updated on new websites that help us make the most of our time and resources. This applies, for example, for flights (one of the biggest expenses when you travel). Now we can easily compare flights from different companies either on the laptop or iPhone itself. Anywhere, anytime… knowing we get the best deals. We are not fond of rip-offs.
After all our experiences booking flights in different continents, Ashray compiled some great tips on how to score the best flight deals. Have a look if you care about your hard-earned cash half as much as we do!
Isla Mujeres, Mexico
5. Worldwide IT Assistance 24/7
Whenever I get stuck with something, IT support is there! I know, such an Indian stereotype, right?! ;)
Final cut is getting stuck, I don’t know how to compress a video to a decent uploadable size according to the available internet connection, we need a new plug-in for our website… so many annoying things happen every now and then and I don’t always know how to deal with them myself – at least not before my head boils to a level that makes me incapable of dealing with them rationally.
The most important part is not having Ashray there to solve my tech problems but learning with him how to solve them. So that could be reason No. 6. – I am always learning with him!
what a sweet post!
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Does technology help? Absolutely! It makes things easier, faster, and overall better.
But what happens when technology doesn’t work? (dun dun duuuuuun!)
This has happened to me twice. First time, my iPhone was out of commission the day before a month-long trip to Europe. There was no time to get it fixed. Second time was on a road trip in the southwestern US, but this time my GPS died.
In light of these events, the best skill I’ve ever put to use while travelling has been map-reading!
Map reading and asking people can be very useful too, of course.
Let’s take good advantage of technology but one shouldn’t become dependent on it either!
Great post :o)
Just wondering what keyboard you use for your iPad? We really struggled with just our iPad and iPhones on our last trip.
Thanks Brian & Allan (Bond)
Hi Guys!
The keyboard is a regular Apple keyboard. But you could use any that has blue-tooth. The advantage of the Apple one is that it is small and light.
Cheers!