"modern" travel

I've been reflecting on the communication differences between this trip overseas for a long period and my last one, as a student in 1992, when I went to Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, USA as part of my American Studies at Keele University

I am amazed at actually having a blog. That makes me sound really "old", but I never thought I would be in the position to actually need one. This blog is primarily a means to keep in touch with family while I am away, assuaging some of their worries, and I will be able to let off steam about things that have not quite gone to plan, or effuse on the wonders of what I am doing ... at my age :). It will also be an aide memoire to me when I write my journal or if friends ask me what I did and when.

Secondly: I can keep in touch by email. Yes, such a simple thing that we all do and take for granted, but it is a wonderful thing for making the world smaller. For instance, I have never met my cousin's daughter Rachel, who lives about 50 miles from Perth, WA, but we are corresponding by email and I almost know her already! My old mum (said affectionately) and my dad's sister now correspond by email, while only a short time ago, they had to wait a couple of weeks for letters to come and go all that way.

Thirdly: letters aka snail mail. When I was a student at BSU in 1992, this was the only way to keep in touch. I used to write pages and pages to my family as to what I was doing and how my studies were going. I would stand in line at the post office for the American stamps with the eagle on them, and with blind faith pop them into the box-shaped post "boxes" and they would wing their way over the pond.

We had long, slot-shaped pigeonholes/mail boxes in the small foyer of the Hall we were in, and I used to check the mail eagerly every day. It was such a joy to receive the long letters back, on blue, tissue-thin Air Mail paper, and I used to drink in the news from home. It was odd to discover that while we were having a long hot summer and Fall, the UK was having its wettest Autumn for years. However I could also write back that we had just experiencd a tornado within 2 miles of town, and then we had fog for about 2 weeks non-stop.

Back in 1992, mobile phones were huge bricks, not the slim-line versions we have today. Even though they existed, they were a luxury item, and the cost of calls and ownership packages was extortionate. What a difference to today when everyone has one.

Finally, computers. Back then the computer boxes were like TV sets, the screens were green (yeuk) and hard to read. Computer programmes ran at 64MB. What a difference from the flat screen slim-line, ultra-fast ones we use now.

Part of what I am looking forward to is sharing my experiences with family and friends almost in real-time. I will be able to publish a blog, or send an email, and they could almost be "with me" at that time. However, I still have to master putting photos on this blog - any ideas anyone?!?!?

Until next time :)