I have always been one to prioritize proper grammar and punctuation. When I first learned of the em dash, it became my go-to. An em dash does it all!

It can be used to:

• Add extra information
• Introduce a list or explanation
• Create an abrupt break or shift
• Emphasize a concluding thought

It’s like a comma, a period, a semi-colon all-in-one (without the need to start a new sentence). The em dash is the disorganized-thinker’s way to organize many thoughts or details into one sentence.

I LOVE a good em dash, but…

Since hearing people say “I can always tell someone used ChatGPT because there are em dashes”, I have noticed myself taking out my own ✨ — ✨ beloved, hand-typed ✨ — ✨ em dashes from my writing.

Technological determinism is the theory that tech impacts the way society organizes itself or behaves. Social constructivism is the opposite. Social Shaping of Technology theorizes that they co-construct each other.

I have found myself behaving differently (removing the em dashes from my writing) because of the way tech (ChatGPT) writes. The societal perception that em dash = robot- written has impacted my behaviour because I have the desire to appear human.

Even as I write this, with no robot involved, I’m reflecting on how;

a) nerdy I am/ write,
b) my academia-coded writing really does mimic that of ChatGPT.

So, which came first — the chicken or the egg? The writing or the robot?

Let me know

Have you ever noticed yourself changing the way you behave because of technology?

Do you think technology shapes our habits, or do they shape the technology?

So, you’re going on a big adventure.

I am a strategist by trade, but an adventurer at heart. So I balance the two by leaving my days relatively empty but always knowing where I will sleep that night. Okay, almost always.

At best, I know where I’m sleeping and how I’m travelling from place to place.

At worst, I have a place to store my belongs while I adventure …

The truth is that, when travelling, everything that can go wrong will.

Prepare for the worst, so that everything that goes smoothly is a pleasant surprise.

And, although you may think these tips are strictly for travellers who are backpacking or roughing it, you’d be surprised how strategic packing a bag for a day of adventuring without your suitcase can be.

Trains will be delayed or cancelled, you won’t be able to find a ride from a remote location, you’ll get on the wrong bus, you will get pickpocketed,… the list goes on.

How to navigate day-to-day:

Expect no internet, prepare accordingly by downloading everything you will need in advance. When you’re in stable internet, before getting on the plane;

• Google Maps — download the map of the city. It won’t work perfectly as if you do have internet, but it will help you determine if you’re getting closer or farther away from your destination.
• Google Translate — They have worked wonders on this app since my first backpacking adventure! Now, you can download an entire language so that you have a translator in your pocket without the internet! They even have voice-to-text translation (perfect for communicating with someone who is driving).

Note: Google services don’t work in China. Nor do WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and many other things you may be accustomed to using to communicate and navigate. I have made this mistake before. 🫣

• Airalo- Once you have wifi, you can purchase and activate an eSIM on your phone. This has been a TOTAL GAME CHANGER for me! Here is my referral code for $3 USD off!

What to pack:

• Bags — It never hurts to have extra reusable bags to separate laundry, wet clothes/ lotions, or use as a day bag. I usually bring at least one fabric bag and one plastic bag.
• Water bottle — bring one. And refill it immediately after customs/ before your flight. Always check if tap water is potable where you’re going before filling it up there.
• Meal replacements — I don’t usually do this., but, in an instance when I was camping in the Saharan desert and knowing I couldn’t drink the water or trust my tummy with most food I would find in the area, I kept a shaker bottle with a powdered shake and mixed it with purchased water to make sure I stayed fed/ hydrated without the potential of getting sick in the desert.

How to stay safe

• Share location and itinerary — Especially for long trips where service and wifi is sparce, sharing your location and/or itinerary with loved ones will give you all an added sense of security.

• Portable door lock — this tool provides an added sense of control when staying somewhere new. It is very affordable and means that your door cannot be opened from the outside, no matter what.

• Portable charger & rationing your battery — When leaving for a day of travelling, you never know what is going to happen. I highly recommend rationing your phone battery (by keeping it on airplane mode, low brightness, and charging it up until the moment you walk out the door) and bringing a portable charger with you. Batteries last a lot longer these days, which helps, but I remember staying in a 12-person hostel room with a dodgy pile of phone chargers fighting for one plug. You never know if you’ll have an unkind hostel-stayer who will unplug your phone either! The point is: battery is precious. Act accordingly.

• Eyes on your belongings — This goes without saying, but not everyone has good intentions. I have a belt that holds my passport, credit cards, etc under a shirt so that it is always against my body when I travel. Research common scams before going to a new place. A common one near the Eiffel Tour is someone who asks if you speak English and can help them. You say yes and as you help them translate, they are picking your pockets. You may think you can outsmart these folks but remember, they are professionals.

• At the same time, it’s important to manage expectations. Be okay with losing some belongings. Don’t bring your finest attire when travelling and make the mental adjustment that “it’s just stuff”. After a few experiences of leaving things in foreign countries, when my whole suitcase was stolen off a train 🥺, I mourned for only a few minutes before moving on.
• Similarly, sometimes, you will be scammed. In Morocco, the whole tour bus was told that we had to pay an entry fee to a certain location. Our tour guide was great, so we tipped him handsomely. We then found out there was no entry fee to be paid. He had a relationship with the company and they must do this all the time. Although it angered me, I respect that the ‘hustle’ looks a little different in different places.
• Spend the extra money to ensure safety and comfort — The first time I went backpacking, I would choose a dodgy overnight train with strangers to save 5 Euros. I would be too on edge to sleep, and got to my location exhausted and frustrated. I no longer make decisions like that. Spend the extra 5, 10, 15 in whatever currency it is that will make you feel comfortable. Pay to store your luggage for the day instead of lugging it around stubbornly because you don’t want to spend the money. Your adventure is worth it.
• Personally, I do the “must do” activities in the first few days so that my remaining days can be more open. Leaving a “must do” until the last day may help you build up the excitement, but you may arrive to find out it is closed for a holiday you didn’t know about. There are so many reasons things don’t go as planned, so prioritize the “musts” early on. Relatedly, the night before a flight, I like to decompress and make it easy on myself by staying somewhere near the airport and alone. No roughing it before a long flight.

I hope this is helpful as you embark on your next adventure.

Let me know in the comments what you think! Any tips that I missed?