The art of disconnected travel: Is it possible to travel without a smartphone?

I always travel without a smartphone. For the simple reason that I don’t own one, never have and I have no intention to buy one in the near future.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against technology.

I don’t use a horse and carriage to get to places. (Instead, I cycle, walk or use public transportation.)

I don’t live in a mud hut in the mountains of New Zealand, disconnected from electricity and running water. (At least not yet.)

I definitely don’t carry around a portable typewriter, like the bohemian writers and beatniks of the old days. (Although I admit that the idea sounds kind of cool.)

No, on the contrary. As of late, I’ve evolved in quite the flashpacker. I almost invariably carry a laptop (for writing), a camera and an iPod (remember those?) around. I am fond of my toys. But a smartphone? Nope, I’d rather have my balls slowly removed with a rusted spoon.

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Hikes, flamingos and a town called Carrot: Volcano Love’s travel highlights of 2019

Rather than one of taking off, 2019 was a year of landing, of arriving rather than departing. We returned to Europe after nine months of tramping around Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico, we visited our home countries and settled (temporarily, as ever) in Antwerp, Belgium. But just like we are writers even when we’re not writing, we are also travellers when we’re not travelling. And real wandering souls find wonders in their own backyard as well as on the other side of the world. In chronological order, these were our travel highlights of 2019:

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