When I first started traveling to foreign lands, telephone calls were expensive and very inconvenient. It usually meant standing in line at a post office or other public communication center waiting for a phone to become available; such efforts were reserved for urgent matters.

To offer news of my days I generally mailed a postcard to my loved ones every week or so, knowing that the cards were likely to arrive back home sometime after I did. Otherwise I told tales of my voyage, later on, in person.

The pleasure of travel included experiencing a complete departure from all that was familiar, from all those I knew, and from all those who knew me.

Now, with the advancements in technology, it is common for us to stay connected with others while away.

But there is something lost when we fail to completely engage with our present environment and leave, for a time, the world we know behind.