Staying connected abroad

International data plan

If you travel frequently and especially if your job will pay for it, then subscribe to your carrier's monthly plan. For ATT, it's $70/month and covers about 200 countries. 

They also have a day pass plan that is $10/day and is only activated once used. Check out your specific carrier's plan and decide if this is right for you. I'll talk about the pros and cons below. 

Buy a local SIM card

You can purchase a prepaid SIM card, usually at the airport or at any local store. This is an option if your phone is unlocked (not a phone on a payment plan). This will give you a new local phone number. Costs per card vary based on the amount purchased, but mostly this covers local calls and data. Be aware, some cards (when brought abroad) have instructions in their local language. 

You may need some assistance activating your card if this is the case. 

Airplane Mode

Upon takeoff, turn your phone to airplane mode and don't turn this off until you touch back on US soil. 

This means your phone is essentially a glorified camera and note pad when not connected to Wi-fi. When connected to wi-fi, you can access imessages, Facetime, WhatsApp, email, internet, and apps that use the internet. 

Many places (restaurants, bars, coffee shops, hotels, airports) offer Wi-Fi to customers, so just ask. 

What I prefer

I keep my phone in airplane mode and access Wi-Fi when I at my hotel or out at a restaurant/bar for an extended period. I just recently activated the day pass plan with my provider ATT but have yet to use it. 

I plan to keep this option for urgent needs only. 

Pros to this method- though not completely "off-grid", it does provide a break from "the grid." 

I don't have information and social media readily at my fingertips when out (most of the time), and this allows me to better embrace myself in the city and its culture. I've found that my phone (fully functional) often impedes interactions with others. That includes interpersonal interactions and interactions or observations from afar. This may seem like a con to some, but for me, pulling the parachute cord on social media or work emails can actually be liberating. 

Cons- it can be very unsettling to not have on-demand access to… any and everything. You can use things like rideshare apps, maps apps, or just essential internet on the fly.

How I reconcile these

Keep a WhatsApp account. Not only to talk to your non-iPhone (or non-Android) friends back home but to connect with new associates or friends you make abroad, while abroad. 

Use Wi-Fi sparingly. 

It is possible to use Uber, but you need to initiate it from a location where you have Wi-Fi. On the go, you may not have it, so prepare your route with public transportation or walking. Map it out in advance and save a copy of your route.