When I first started to travel, only 30 some years ago, how you kept in touch with home was very different. The main method involved pens, paper and a stamp. You sat and wrote a letter. There were variations, things called aerograms, a single sheet of airmail paper which you bought with postage already paid, you wrote your letter on it and it then folded up and stuck together to form its own envelope.
To receive news from home you waited for a letter back. If you didn't have an address to write to as you were continually moving you could use a service called post restant, your post could be sent to a major post office anywhere in the world and they would hold it for your arrival. The expectation and excitement you felt when arriving in a place where you had arranged to collect post was huge, as was the disappointment when there was nothing waiting for you.
For other news you could try and find a copy of an English news paper which was less than a month old or buy an international paper and try and work out if any of it was true. (So some things haven't changed).
Phoning home was something normally reserved for emergencies or very important people, it was both incredibly expensive and difficult in remote out of the way places, normally involving booking a call or visiting an international phone centre and asking for your call to be put through. You then waited and maby it happened or mayby not.
Then the Internet arrived along with email. Slightly seedie Internet cafès sprang up in every backpacker destination, in these they would rent you time on an outdated computer and you could send and receive emails.
Finally we come up to date, now, everyone carries a smart phone, an increadably powerful pocket computer, you have instant access to the Internet and a multitude of communication sites either using a data sim card or the free WiFi offered by every restaurant, cafè and bar. You can also direct dile any where from anywhere. Regardless of where you are in the word now it makes little difference to keeping in touch.
In the marine world things have also come on.
Cruising yachts were all equipped with VHF radio, a relatively short range system which allows you to talk with other VHF users or it was possible to request a link call, a radio operator would link you into a telephone network. Many yachts also carried, and still do carry, SSB radio, a much more powerful system which allowed international communication, through this network weather forcasts were available and chat groups were organised with other yachts heading your way.
Then satellite phones arrived, initially voice only but then developed into satellite Internet, this was slower than the dile up Internet of the day but a big step forward at the time. Speeds have increased and allow the access to email and weather forcasts now.
The real game changer for cruising yachts has been the introduction of Star link. This is a mobile, satellite Internet system. Anywhere in the world you can now have a full speed Internet connection. More and more yachts are adopting this and have better connection speeds than many terrestrial systems.
This modern communication technology now means that there is nowhere you can not access all the news, information and contact you want. It has huge implications for safety, reliable up to date weather forcasts at any time, access to expert guidance in the event of a mechanical problem or medical emergency, and instant access to outside assistance if needed.
It is also now possible to work from your boat, potentially funding a sailing lifestyle permanently if that is your thing.
There are downsides of course, minor compared to the gains but still there. Although reasonable considering what you get maintaining the subscription can be costly, there is also the additional electrical demand made by what ever system you choose.
It also seems to me that one of the reasons to travel was to remove your self from your home environment and the day to day distraction of world wide news. Travelling should be all about exploring new things and places. It is sad to say however that if these distractions are available, for most of us it they hard to resist.
On a final positive note, access to the Internet allows us to share some of the experiences we are having with those not lucky enough to be here.
Tim