Hannah Strange, Florida Down Under marketing intern, discusses the reasons to leave techno gadgets at home when heading abroad:

At this time of year a lot of you reading this blog are probably (hopefully) gearing up to go on one of our AUIP programs this summer. With this in mind, most of you are probably thinking about what you are going to need on a four to six week journey across the world.

Something that has almost certainly crossed your mind is what to do about the technology situation. Considering you are reading this on a blog, I’m guessing that the majority of you (like me) are certified millennial technology addicts.

And even when traveling it is oh so tempting to desperately cling to those Facebook notifications, tweets, blog updates and pins. So much so, that you are probably considering bringing an iPad, smart phone or laptop. A lot of you probably can’t even remember what it is like to complete an assignment without the use of Google and a Microsoft Word document. I certainly don’t remember doing technology-free schoolwork since well before my North Queensland and Fiji programs.

Scary as it may seem, I am actually going to ENCOURAGE you to leave absolutely everything technological in the U.S., except for perhaps an iPod and of course a digital camera. Now this is not out of a fear that you will be mugged, or otherwise lose or break your precious gadgets. Nope, while writing a 250-word mini-essay by hand will certainly be a challenge for you without spell check, it will be a wonderful challenge that is not only good for you academically, but personally as well.

Virginia Tech students doing work the "old school" way

As a frequent traveler I can tell you that there is nothing quite like the freedom of turning everything OFF once in a while. Yes, most of our phones are quad-band and using them Down Under is a lot easier and cheaper than it used to be, but connecting so frequently to the world you left at home can hold you back from getting the most of the experience you are currently in.

Obviously you will want to let your loved ones know you are safe, but phone cards and pay phones will be quite adequate for that. I assure you that these programs are designed so that really there is no advantage to lugging your laptop across the Outback.

So while it is entirely up to you, I urge you to consider leaving the techno behind for a while. You never know, it might do you the world of good.