Nostalgia

Remember the days, the good old days? Wandering along new streets, finding a little café and savoring a cappuccino in the sun?

Or lying on a beach, reading a book, basking in the sun and listening to the waves rolling in? Nothing to do but relax and enjoy the destination. I must be getting old because I’m having a nostalgic moment for travel before iPhones and social media.

Back in 2009 I set off for New Zealand with a quick detour to Hong Kong. That initial trip turned into more than three years overseas and for the duration of that time I owned a digital camera and an old school Nokia 3310. It was great.

I checked Facebook once a week, sometimes once every few weeks. I didn’t have an Instagram account (it launched in 2010). I took photographs for myself, not just for social media. And I didn’t write about my experiences, not publicly anyway.

Times change. I now use Instagram and Facebook every day, I have an iPhone and obviously, an online blog. The networking opportunities of social media cannot be faulted, but there is something so good about exploring a new place without the gadgets and the apps.

So could I do it? Travel without social media? I doubt it. I’m as addicted to my phone as I am to my morning coffee. But it’s nice to reminisce and indulge in nostalgia from time to time.

Images credit: iStock