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It's lonely out there on the road. Thankfully, we live in an era when the world is much smaller and speaking with your loved ones back at home is as simple as finding some abundant free Wi-Fi.
We are back with some more ways to alleviate the burden of travel, using technology and gadgets at hand to aid that dilemma.
This week I was struck by something I read by CNN's Milena Veselinovic, which was entitled "Luxury and Loneliness: The Dark Side of Business Travel."
Essentially, Veselinovic states, "Check-in queues, flight delays and lonely dinners make up a large part of the business traveler lifestyle, where the perks of traversing the globe for meetings in Paris and Tokyo come with a physical and emotional cost."
There is no way to remedy the emotional drain completely. However, this is hardly an age wherein an expensive call from the phone in your hotel room is your only option.
Here are just a few apps I use to cure those blues of mine when I'm abroad. I am eager to hear any that you find useful.
Skype:
The most obvious app comes on your tablet or smartphone and enables you to not only speak with your family and friends thousands of miles away but to see them as well.
There is no substitution for actual human interaction, but this has worked wonders in being able to immediately share things like my hotel room or balcony view with my wife back at home.
Snapchat:
The app has grown recently from a way to send quick, temporary images to one that includes a way to tell a story.
Stringing together pieces of the day, I begin to feel as if I have someone with me sharing in the experience as I eat dinner or walk the streets after a business lunch. Now important moments are shared in context with whoever is back home waiting for you.
WhatsApp:
Those text message rates can get pricey, especially if you are holding a long conversation Internationally.
WhatsApp solves that issue, allowing you to send missives using "the same internet data plan that you use for email and web browsing, there is no cost to message and stay in touch with your friends."
Data being what it is while abroad, I use this the moment I am in the warm glow of free Wi-Fi, which is increasingly abundant.
Viber:
Or you can opt to use Viber, which uses WiFi or 3G to enable phone conversations between two Viber users.
Postagram:
Obviously, you will have very little time to play tourist during your business trip and even less to spelunk around shops for a suitable postcard.
This app lets you snap off a selfie and mail off a postcard in an instant for less than a buck.
AroundMe:
As boredom sets in you might want to know what is around your hotel in the way of food and entertainment.
You might know about Yelp and other like apps, but you might not be familiar with AroundMe, which is like a tiny concierge.
Aside from the above apps, it's important to get plenty of rest on the plane, because drowsiness can really keep the most upbeat businessperson down.
Or, as I recommend, you should take a moment to really explore a city as time warrants. Nothing will lift the spirits like meandering around a new location.
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