Page 4 August 3, 2017 TORRANCE TRIBUNE TerriAnn in Torrance A Sunshine Experience: Journaling of a Holiday By TerriAnn Ferren August marks the last official month of summer, reminding most people time is slipping by for last-minute holidays before September. If you have already taken a trip, did you record the significant events, sights, or people? And if you did, was the camera in your hand, along with your phone? In past decades when away on vacation, most people would take pictures with a camera of some sort--and upon returning home, all the pictures taken would be developed. Then, of course, began the quip of, “Let’s get together and I will show you my vacation photos.” Most adults remember showing either prints or movies or slide shows of their trips. No more. These days, with the use of cell phones, one merely decides how they will transmit a picture of a specific site, event or experience in “real time”--allowing friends and relatives Rachel and Elyse Sunshine in Glencoe, Scotland. Elyse and Rachel Sunshine with their backpacks. back home to see exactly what they are experiencing. This ability truly makes our world very small and sharing an adventure with others magnifies the experience for both traveler and those with whom they are sharing. Last week I met two sisters who told me about their summer travel adventures (July 1 through July 17) and how they shared their trip with family, friends and others. Sisters Elyse Sunshine, age 25, and Rachel Sunshine, age 23, who were born, raised and live in Torrance, took the vacation of their young lives this summer and journeyed to Scotland, England and Spain. Because both young women are focusing on future grad school degrees, this seemed like a good time to take off together before the next chapter of their lives unfolds. “We thought we need to do something this summer. We’re never going to get the chance--both of us--to go. We thought, why not Europe! Rachel’s never been and I wanted to go back,” explained Elyse. The two sisters planned their trip before they left. Then Rachel laughed and said, “Well, she [Elyse] is a planner. I am the assistant follower.” This dynamic duo seemed like they had it worked out from the beginning. They planned on flying into and out of Manchester, England, as it was the most reasonable fare. Originally, the sisters planned on traveling with their friend, Phil Ahola. Then another friend, Brooke Matson, was added, rounding out the group to four. “Four is great. You can always do two and two, and you often Uber or taxi. We didn’t have to pay extra, so it was a perfect travel number,” said Elyse. Rachel added, “My dream place to go to was Scotland, and that is the first place we went to and then England and then Barcelona, Spain. We narrowed it down to three places. It ended up where we spent enough time in each place, so I think it worked out.” The travelers took their regular cell phones with them on their trip. “Our father was not keen on not having constant contact, so he actually paid for our plan so he could always text us,” said Elyse, smiling. At this point the travelers told me there is a big difference in carriers’ overseas plans and they recommend that if you are going to be traveling out of the country, it is best to shop around. Although the Internet is accessible nearly everywhere, if you use your own phone you may want to check out your options, as the girls did, before you leave the states (and that includes different carriers). “We stayed in Airbnb’s which had Wi-Fi except one. We didn’t have luggage--we just had carry-on backpacks,” said Elyse. Wait. A carry-on backpack for a 17-day European trip? I wanted evidence of that, so the ladies produced their backpacks for me. Both now say they know exactly how heavy 40 pounds feel. Admittedly, I never traveled with only a backpack and am in awe of these two. I then asked Rachel and Elyse how they used their cell phones and shared their trip. They told me that they decided before they left not to take photographs of every single thing they saw, but to “live in the moment,” take photographs of what they really liked and share maybe once a day. “Every day I did a digital post on Instagram, so I had a digital diary and what I did that day. It was nice. Before going to bed, I’d post maybe max six pictures of what we did that day. It was nice, but I never thought about people watching. I am not a big social media person. Facebook owns Instagram,” said Elyse. Although both ladies confessed they don’t spend a lot of time on social media, they did use Instagram for their trip. Camera, anyone? Mostly, no. The cell phone was the heavy lifter for capturing moments of the summer trip. An added bonus for the travelers abroad was that they told me when they posted a certain place, they would add hashtags which then linked to other people in specific places who could see their posts and comment or give suggestions. In addition to Instagram, they also used Snapchat, which is temporary. “We would post every day on Snapchat, which let them see a first-person view of what we saw,” added Elyse. A photo is taken and only stays up for 24 hours and then it disappears. “I posted mostly what was really weird--like look what we are about to eat right now. It was cool,” said Rachel. Elyse and Rachel then told me of all the interesting people they met along the way through social media and through tour guides. And they didn’t exchange addresses. They exchanged social media contacts! Security? Both Rachel and Elyse told me they weren’t prepared for the strict security of Manchester, England, in contrast with the lack of security in Barcelona, Spain. Observing different cultures definitely broadened their worldview. One thing I learned from these two travelers is in Europe, solid deodorant is considered a liquid. Who knew? Then I asked if the entire group got together after the trip, pooling all their photographs and looking at everything and they said no. They hadn’t done that as yet. As a matter of fact, because they posted as they went along, even family felt as if they were taking the trip somewhat with them and so the need for an evening of show and tell didn’t seem as urgent. Hum. That may be, but I couldn’t wait to see the photographs of all the historic sites. “There is this thing in Barcelona called pintxos [like little bites, similar to tapas], so we were deciding that we would get our families together and make a bunch of pintxos and do a little slide show. There are so many stories of our tour guides and what we learned from them. I do want to share with my family and friends and stuff,” added Elyse. Rachel told me she thought Europe was very different from the United States because of the culture and the age of their buildings. She loved the green of Scotland and can’t wait to go back. Both Rachel and Elyse told me they felt they “lived in the moment” because of using technology to document their trip and being done with it each day. Well, things have changed. No longer do travelers carry extra film or worry about the security x-ray destroying their used film. Travelers now carry digital cameras and cell phones with the ability for not only texting and sending photographs, but also utilizing the available travel apps in addition to Instagram and Snapchat. And did I mention, you can also use your cell phone to make a phone call? After talking with Elyse and Rachel Sunshine, I will definitely “digitally plan” my next holiday because they proved using available technology frees up the mind and soul for completely taking in an experience while traveling. • Brooke Matson, Elyse Sunshine, Rachel Sunshine and Philip Ahola in Fort Agustus, Scotland. alone aloI linve e FREE Saving a life from a potential catastrophe EVERY 10 MINUTES! but I’’I’m m never alone. I have Life Alert.® One touch of a button sends help fast, 24/7, can’t • medical • fall • fi re • invasion • CO gas emergencies. For a FREE brochure call: Medical Alert Medical Alert Industry Leader Industry Leader Since 1987 Since 1987 No landline? No problem! SHIPPING! I live even when you can’’t reach a phone for: AS SEEN ON TV 1-855-980-5453
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