Hotspots really help with that. Even if there are no repeaters near you a cheap hotspot will let you hop on digital and talk to people all around the world with

Hotspots really help with that. Even if there are no repeaters near you a cheap hotspot will let you hop on digital and talk to people all around the world with minimal fuss. People complain that it's not "real" amateur radio, but if you just want to talk it's very accessible.