What about my phone?

I'm going out on a limb here to assume majority of you have some kind of smartphone. If that is the case, then this is my advice for you.

First: Take your phone with you (unless you lose it often... I'm talking 5 times a week, in which case, don't take it with you)
Your smartphone is such a valuable tool abroad, there are lots of tricks to using it to it's maximum potential without breaking the bank.

Second: Turn off 3G/4G and stick to WiFi
Wifi is free, for the most part, at cafes and large businesses. So look for window stickers/signs or ask employees about Wifi. If you don't see a sign, it doesn't hurt to ask.

If you see that, you're pretty much golden.

Don't forget that iMessage on the iPhone is totally free on Wifi, so that's a great way to communicate without using your data.

Third: Applications
The number of helpful applications abroad is astounding. I'm not about to give you a long list, I'll do that later, but know there are a lot. And a key application to communication back home will be Skype. If you haven't heard of it, time to come out from under your rock. Skype is free...for the most part. The only parts of Skype that are not free are
-calls to mobile and landlines
-text messages to mobile phones
-group calls with more than 10 people
But Skype messaging and video chats are free and great for communicating with family and friends.

Fourth: Jail Breaking
I don't recommend it, if you want to do that, go ahead but I would advise you to look it up and what the consequences are. There are lots of pros and cons.

If I think of any other important info about your phones abroad, I'll update this. In the meanwhile, feel free to ask questions in the comments. Or just say hi.

Bisous Bisous,

Duolingo

So I didn't know where to start. Therefore I'll start with something I'm excited about and can't stop using.
It's called Duolingo!

This is the desktop version

This is the application

Duolingo is a fun website where you can learn to speak Spanish, French, German, Italian and Portuguese. It uses social media is a sneaky way; you can see how your friends are doing and when you see they've earned more skill points than you, you want to do more exercises. Very sneaky Duolingo, very very sneaky.
It works on writing, listening, reading and speaking.
But best of all, it's 100% free.
Check out their website and their app. I think it would be a great way to brush up on a language or learn the basics of a few languages so you don't feel so out-of-your-element in another country.

bisous bisous,