A digital immigrant goes nomad

I do love a good book or article. The best writing leaves me feeling at least a little uncomfortable. When that discomfort leads to learning something new about myself, that is pay dirt! Such was the case when I first read Marc Prensky’s 2001 article introducing the metaphor of digital native for recent college students and digital immigrant for their older teachers. No doubt about it. I identified as a digital immigrant and I felt more than a little uncomfortable about the implied communications challenges for my teaching.

As a self-identified digital immigrant, I have slowly adapted to some technology, but the change sped up for me recently in ways I never anticipated. To prepare for the world cruise, I sold my house. I put my downsized belongings into storage. I stayed with generous friends and family since the summer, and it has been great. I have enjoyed this temporary nomad life.

But, to do this, I had to re-think some of my older data and technology strategies.  Turns out that a downsized nomad can’t keep doing things the same way!

Minimizing rented storage space meant I needed to radically downsize my paper document storage. Having no fixed home meant I needed a new way to get mail. Being out of contact with the US mail system for six months while on the cruise meant I needed to adjust my bill paying process. Travelling in my car and then on the cruise meant I needed to let go of my two computer screens and very comfortable desktop computer. So far, I can report that this is very doable and even leaves me feeling a little more competent.

Here are a few of the challenges and solutions I have found:

• Mail: It is not easy to be a person without a home address in this country. After some searching, I signed signing up with a company called iPostal1, which provided a physical mailing address.  Mine is based in a Staples store and as each piece of mail comes in, it is scanned and forwarded to my email. I then enter the iPostal1 app and direct mail for forwarding, opening and scanning, discarding, or pickup. As mail comes into iPostal1 from a company, I have been able to change to paperless settings.  I have found a few places that simply will not let you eliminate paper mailings, the most interesting is that Medicare does not allow Blue Cross to send electronic Explanations of Benefits for medical care.    But, overall, this has worked pretty well.
• Digital Records:  Early in my downsizing, I set out to digitalize or discard all the paper records I possibly could. It took me over two years to accomplish, but the original four huge file cabinets of documents are now down to just several file boxes. Most effective businesses have tackled this challenge long ago, so the strategies for purging records are well known.  I was surprised, however, about the way in which keeping digital documentation instead of paper for my personal business changed my mindset.
  • I now depend of Seagate storage devices  the size of a deck of cards for these records and backups. (All right, digital natives, I know there is such a thing as the cloud, but please let me go step by step.) Most documents already come in digital form. For converting paper files, I now travel with the Canon Image FormulaR10. It is a small and portable scanner that easily fits in a bag, and makes quick work of all document scanning tasks. I wish I had known about this earlier in the process, as I spent a lot of time scanning documents on the scanner built into my large HP printer, which was effective, but not very efficient.  
  • With Quicken on my laptop, my digital files in hand, and access to my iPostal1 mail, I expect to be able to manage the cruise well.
• Leaving Behind the Desktop Computer: During COVID, I had happily worked from my well-appointed home office. I was comfortable with my desktop computer, connected printer and two video screens for efficient work.  As I contemplated the need to upgrade my old desktop, my daughter Sarah suggested that I could actually just use my laptop instead. Seemed radical at the time, but it actually turns out to be a great idea.  I was at at first concerned that the ergonomics of using a laptop would lead to wrist and hand challenges.  Enter portable tech solutions:
  • For the cruise, my laptop will perch on a foldable tilting stand at just the right height, my Bluetooth keyboard will make typing easy, my wireless mouse and mousepad will be alongside, and a small speaker will bring the audio. I’ve learned (the hard way) during my travels that investing in one of the cases for the keyboard and mouse  is worthwhile.
  • While travelling in the car, I had additional items for my computer setup that won’t go on the cruise. I invested in a dock to keep peripheral devices well organized, and that has worked well to connect the storage backup, digital document scanner, and photo scanner. With the printer sitting nearby, I can set up in a short time and produce almost anything I could in my previous desktop office.

Twenty years after Prensky’s article was published, I still feel very much a digital immigrant. I prefer email to text, avoid much social media, and keep my Android phone until the battery no longer works. But I also know that leaving behind a settled home for a while has given me the chance to embrace some new approaches to data and technology. I am curious to learn how the next six months of travel will continue that process within me and to observe it from a new perspective.