It's funny – I went on a backpacking trip when I was younger for 6 months. This was a couple years before the advent of smart phones. I travelled all over the p

It's funny – I went on a backpacking trip when I was younger for 6 months. This was a couple years before the advent of smart phones. I travelled all over the place in super rural areas. I hitch hiked around and bought maps at gas stations and ask strangers for directions. The only technology I had was a camera and an old iPod for music. Now, if I go out in a new city I feel anxious without my phone – even when I'm right downtown with access to transit! I don't think foreign places have gotten any harder to navigate. I think maybe all this technology in our pocket has made us less personable and less likely to make quick friends with a stranger for the mutual benefit of sharing information.