Staying in Touch
A Reflection from the Road
Living full-time on the road changes what connection means.
Out here, staying connected isn’t just about convenience. It’s about being able to check in with family, update our website, or plan the next stretch without relying on roadhouse Wi-Fi or a scrap of signal found by standing on one foot near a fence post, with your tongue out.
We resisted Starlink for a long time. There was something we liked about patchy reception. The forced quiet. The unspoken permission to switch off. But eventually, reality caught up with us. The website, the admin, the calls home. All the small things that make up everyday life. Starlink joined us in the motorhome, reluctantly welcomed but undeniably useful.
The funny thing is, having internet everywhere hasn’t made us more online. If anything, it’s made us more deliberate. The signal’s always there now, which means the choice to log off is clearer too. Calling our parents from the middle of nowhere still feels like a small miracle. Uploading a post beside a campfire still feels faintly ridiculous, and kind of wonderful.
The longer we’ve been travelling, the clearer it’s become that connection isn’t really about Wi-Fi. It’s about people. Life on the road can be quiet. Sometimes beautifully so. Sometimes uncomfortably. There are stretches where it’s just the three of us for days, and while we’re a solid little unit, we still miss the easy closeness of friends and family.
That’s part of why we started our Travel Dispatch. Not as a broadcast, but as a way to stay connected. A slow, considered line back to people who understand our way of moving through the world.
Looking after your head on the road takes intention. Knowing when to reach out. Knowing when to switch off. Knowing when the best connection isn’t a screen at all, but a swim, a walk, or a conversation with someone you’ve just met at camp.
This life gives us space, freedom, and perspective. It also asks us to stay grounded. We’re not just passing through places. We’re living in them, even if only briefly. And that means learning how to be present, even when the signal is strong.
The road can feel wide sometimes. Staying connected, in the ways that matter, makes it feel smaller in the best possible way.
Some of our other thoughts
Photography slowed our travel down. By staying longer, noticing light, and relying on simple techniques, we learnt to photograph with more intention. Sometimes the best images arrive quietly, once a place feels familiar.