iPhone: To Bring Or Not To Bring

By: Kim Karalekas, New Media & Research Assoc., API Texas

Part 1:
During a recent trip abroad, I gave myself a challenge: No iPhone, limited iPod use.

Part 2:
I must admit, I wasn’t completely sold on this self-imposed challenge. As there are travel apps just for just about everything (flight status, maps, travel guides, translators…there’s even an app that locates the nearest public restroom!), smart phones can be incredible resources during travel.

Part 3:
Although I appreciate (and perhaps rely on at times) the convenience of smart phones & travel apps, I also find myself sharing the following sentiment:

“Half the fun of the travel is the esthetic of lostness.” -Ray Bradbury

Touché.

Part 4:
I was left with a conundrum: How can I use technology to enhance, rather than detract from my experience abroad?

Solution:
Everything in moderation & benefit from the best of both worlds! The iPhone was left off & iPod-friendly travel apps were downloaded…conundrum solved!

Below are the apps I used and would recommend to whomever is in the market for travel apps. Keep in mind, many of the Buenos Aires specific apps seen below are available for other locations as well!