Marshall McLuhan sized up modernity and spoke: “The medium is the message.” This famous (and famously misunderstood) statement essentially means that technology shapes us. Our tools use us to some degree; they enable some things and they prevent or eliminate others. What of travel technology? Here’s some food for thought. The traveler is both limited and enabled by the mode of transportation he chooses, but also by what he carries with him. Few things will affect the quality and scope of your travel like your luggage and what’s in it. A backpack, shoulder bag, steamer trunk, or gaggle of rolling suitcases all make certain things possible and certain things impossible. Think before you pack.
And on the subject of technology – how much do you really want to take along? Would you rather spend time in Edinburgh searching for a quaint pub or a quality wi-fi access point? Can you ever really leave home if you take your IP address with you?