I'd like you to hear the story of my last Arctic cruise. It sounded incredible, National Geographic trip through the ice and back with polar bears and other wildlife. There was going be frozen ice that eyes could see, snow, and ice everywhere. Man-made machines were created to fight the elements and to navigate the frozen wilderness of northern Norway. It was awe-inspiring, a massive battle against the weather, north and the pole.


It was suggested that I carry all the tech I would be able to carry in my luggage. I did manage to pack my laptop, and also add an enormous screen to extend my workspace. I was told that electricity was not an issue. It was going to be a tough task and I was unsure what I could expect. Just two days into the 14-day trip I didn't know of the fact that my Internet connection would not work and I would go missing for the next 10 day. It was a shock to me when it happened. Every trip should not, however difficult or remote, cause me to be cut off from my computer. I didn't plan for the downtime, in addition to having unfinished business I had to address over the next week as well as other things I had to accomplish.

It doesn't matter if you need to leave your home. Internet is everywhere and if your home network is experiencing issues, there are many nearby McDonalds which offer free WiFi access. Better yet, you can bring your laptop to Starbucks to sit at a table and surf the Internet for as long as you can. However, no restaurant or cafe can help out there, further north, and a few hours from the nearest shack, with electricity produced by the weak generator.. There's no free Internet available. There are two choices in these circumstances: get a satellite connection or turn off the internet.

convert 2 mp 3 I am unable to afford the cost of a satellite phone. It is too costly, especially for Internet access. Before I leave for the dark, I'll have a large collection of audio and videos. Last time , I had 2 songs that were both mockingly downloaded in the past and all I was able to listen to were three smooth jazz songs, and a song that I had no idea what it was called. This is it. Four songs for two weeks of no music. If I knew that this was likely to be the situation, I would be prepared. I would have loaded my laptop with TV shows, films, music videos, and audio files with songs and podcasts. I could spend hours listening to my favourite podcasts. It's easy to download them, convert to MP3 and save to my computer. I then lay in my bed listening to the podcasts that I love, but seldom find the time to sit down and listen. This would have been my gold hour which is about two weeks worth of gold. But, it was actually two weeks of gazing at a ceiling , and then trying to catch passengers every time there was a sound coming from the corridors.

Literally and metaphorically The trip was empty. I've never been so bored. Ice was too thick, which I knew could be the problem eventually which is why the boat had to turn around and tug back to the civilization. This was not surprising. However, the hours of downtime could have been listening to podcasts, viewing DIY videos on repairs for the home, or listening to music. The next time I'll convert YouTube videos into mp4 or mp3 format on my laptop. Then, I can bring my favorite tunes with me and listen to them on my laptop. Music can help lift your spirits So don't get discouraged. Also remember Hulu and Netflix apps allow you to download films and shows to stream offline. These are also able to be downloaded for the long arctic trip. It is not a good idea to spend your time bored. Have fun!