Plugging in from Abroad

Accustomed to multitasking on the Internet in his Baltimore dorm room, Mark Bye had a tough time getting used to not having access in his London residence. He adjusted, though, realizing he wasn’t in London to listen to Coldplay and check [his] EBay account, he said.
- On Internet access abroad

Sweating in the summer heat, dozens of young travelers frantically check hotmail, thefacebook and hostelworld.com accounts as time ticks away on their computers. The room is packed, and customers are crammed together so close they can see one another’s monitors. Outside, the city holds reminders of an ancient past, but inside this European internet café, tourists are plugged into the modern world.

Nowadays it’s almost impossible to have a completely disconnected experience while traveling and studying abroad. As students venture through foreign lands, immerse themselves in unfamiliar cultures and attempt to speak new languages, one constant keeps them connected to the world they left behind: the Internet. Although the quality and consistency of Internet access abroad varies, most students find spots to plug in, and those who don’t are usually prepared before departing.