After a full year of traveling, I have come to the conclusion that my phone is the biggest blessing in my life. Seriously. To the people who do not believe in bringing your phone while traveling or doing ministry, this blog is not for you, but kuddos to you for making it through. I recently looked through what apps I have used the most this year (God bless screen time). These are the top eight apps I am so thankful that I downloaded. Be warned though, some of these can ONLY be set up in America, so whip out your phone and let's get downloading.
Spotify
I LIVED off Spotify this year. It actually saved me. Plus, it has podcasts!? You can download your playlists or any songs on Wifi. It is quite incredible. My recommendations are the following. Set up some playlists for different moods and download them before coming on your trip. If you are trying to save money, set up a family plan for $14.99 and get your entire group on it then either keep it or downgrade back to your personal/free plan. My go-to playlists are my workout playlist, airplane playlist (what I play when I sleep to block out noise), and my "dump" playlist where I dump all my faves into one spot when I do not know where else to put them.
Venmo
A true lifesaver when traveling with groups. When traveling around the world, you realize that not EVERY country understands the term "split the bill." So many times they will put it on one check and not let you pay separately. Get Venmo or Cash App set up so you can charge or pay your friends in sad times such as these. It can also help if you put one person in charge of booking/planning your vacay and they can just charge you what you owe at the end of your adventure.
Uber + Eats
Most of the countries I went to had Uber and Uber Eats (even in Kenya)! I trust Uber (90% of the time) and it helps when going somewhere alone. Uber eats can also be a lifesaver while staying at a hostel. My favorite thing in other countries is that the delivery fee is super cheap because they take bikes or motos! You can also download app's similar to these in other countries because some countries have their own brand of Uber.
Netflix
Netflix was a savior in times of boredom! Plus, it saves you so much money because when you are on a budget and have a lot of free time/downtime, you can easily turn on a show or a movie to stop you from spending money + eating random food! I finished so many different series of shows this year and made a list of all the movies I have missed in America this year and have been downloading them one by one to keep me in "the know."
Bank App + Currency Exchange
This one is important. You have to know how much money is in your account! You also have to know what the currency exchange is in each country you are going into so you know how much you are spending and how much certain things are worth. In the currency exchange app, you can make a list of all the currencies you will be using and every time you enter an amount, you can see how much it's worth in each currency! It is perfect for world travelers.
Books
During the last month of my mission, we were told we were going to hike the El Camino which is like a 150km walk from Portugal to Spain. I instantly went to my phone, bought some audiobooks, and downloaded them so I could plug in and walk it out. I also bought so many e-books on there as well to read during my free time.
Airbnb
For a couple of months, we had the opportunity to book and plan where we live for the month or for certain days. My favorite thing to do was to book a small private apartment where 5-6 people could live and have a private bathroom and kitchen. You save money on food and drinks as well since you have a kitchen to cook in and you have a private area where you can leave your bags and electronics and know they will be safe.
Health + Sleep Cycle
This has been one of my favorite discoveries of 2019 even though it has been around a while! My parents brought my apple watch to Africa when they visited. I can now calculate my steps, my "time of the month," my activity levels, and even how long I brush my teeth!? I also started using Sleep Cycle and it tracks my sleep if I snore or make movements, and my quality of sleep each night.
- The BEST Travel Apps of 2019 to Help You Travel Better! | Nomadic ... ›
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- The Best Travel Apps for iOS and Android | Digital Trends ›
- The Best Travel Apps for 2019 | PCMag.com ›
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