What to Do With Your Phone When Abroad

Our phones play an integral part in our everyday lives. We use our phones to do things like fact checking or researching unfamiliar topics. And because phones have a manifold of features they double as our portable music players, alarm clocks and even flashlights. And since you take your phone wherever you go why not make use of it. Here are the three things you can do with your phone when abroad:

1.     Document Your Trip: This is is obvious: every phone has a camera built into it, so why not use it. Camera phones have come a long way since the days of flip phones. You can take high quality pictures, though that depends on the model you buy. Since phones are thinner and lighter than cameras, you can take impromptu pictures and videos. If you happen to be in an area with Internet connection you have the option of uploading your pictures and videos onto social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram. And you don’t have to take a selfie, having a picture of a place is enough proof that you were there in the first place.

2.     Practice the Native Language: This will do a service for you and many others. And you don’t have to be the master of the language – knowing every word, grammatical rule, etc. All you need to know are key phrases and words. These are the words and phrases that you will use everyday. And there are many apps that you can download on the web, such as Duolingo and TinyCards that offer a variety of language learning techniques.

3.     Look-up Places: Chances are you will go to a country not knowing where you are going half the time. Exactly like our previous entry – there are countless apps that you can download that will help get to the places you want to go. Need an affordable place to stay: there’s an app for that. Want to go where the locals eat: an app exists. Perhaps you want to take photos at a UNESCO World Heritage Site; this app will help make that possible. There will always be an app that will get to where you want to go.

You should optimize what you bring for travel. But the cool thing about the phone is that it contains what would otherwise be “extra luggage.” And there are definitely other apps that I didn’t cover in this article like currency converters and weather trackers. When travelling, your phone is an essential tool.

photo credit: imageo #330 Am I Spending Too Much Time On Instagram via photopin (license)

[accordion_tab title=”Collegiate Correspondent: Gabriel Pacana” default]
Gabriel Pacana considers himself to be a freelance writer who is looking to expand my knowledge and skillset in writing, which includes SEO, business writing, technical writing and “untouched” topics. He also has wanderlust, which is why he joined the Voy Internship program. He hopes to know more about travel and living abroad so that when the time comes he will be a happy camper.
[/accordion_tab]