You guys aren’t really getting it, are you? :D These days, many view this new-fangled technological gadgetry (such as PDAs, smartphones, iPods, notebooks, and whatnot – including a more or less permanent connection to the Internet) as a direct extension of themselves, and as means of organizing many aspects of their personal life. Not only work-related life, not only studies related life, but all their life – including the free time – and a big part of that life might exist somewhere in the bowels of cyberspace, anyway. So going out without those things makes one feel naked and disoriented: like going out without your pants(/trousers), or eyeglasses (if you need those to survive), or a wallet. (Or handbag-carrying women having to go out without their handbag, or whatever.)
A holiday trip in and around the city is one thing, retreating to a monastery or a summer cottage in the middle of nowhere to sooth your nerves and to shut off the outside world is quite another.
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Edit: That said, if the original poster is, despite all nay-sayers, still planning to bring his laptop with him, it’s of course reasonable to take backups of all the important files before the trip – or perhaps even a direct bit-by-bit image of the entire internal HDD, just in case. Even if thieves aren’t a primary concern here, it’s always possible that you could just accidentally drop the thing into the Baltic Sea, or a steamroller might run over it, or something.
An external (USB?) HDD and something like Norton Save & Restore could come handy for backup purposes. It would also be advisable to make sure that your travel insurance will cover the expenses if the laptop breaks down, or gets lost.
Should I bring my laptop on vacation to Helsinki?
Ha! This is why I love the Forum - you all are so very helpful and sarcastic. Seriously, thanks for the input.
I probably wouldn't quibble over SaxonMan's "You're a sad bastard" comment; he's likely right. Escaping the job and the studies is high on the priority list, but when you leave the kids at home with grandma 3,000 miles away, you do what you can to make it easiest on them. The mobile phone can stay in a drawer (at all times) as far as I'm concerned, though. But apparently it's a *necessity*, so it'll come too.
Dillin, thanks a ton for the word on the libraries. We'll definitely check that out. Jukka - you're right on about the city vs. country vacation: when we want to 'get away from it all' we have a place in southern Missouri to get to. Fishing, no phones, fire, etc. This trip (with all its costs) is to be different than that.
Thanks again for all the help and entertainment!
I probably wouldn't quibble over SaxonMan's "You're a sad bastard" comment; he's likely right. Escaping the job and the studies is high on the priority list, but when you leave the kids at home with grandma 3,000 miles away, you do what you can to make it easiest on them. The mobile phone can stay in a drawer (at all times) as far as I'm concerned, though. But apparently it's a *necessity*, so it'll come too.
Dillin, thanks a ton for the word on the libraries. We'll definitely check that out. Jukka - you're right on about the city vs. country vacation: when we want to 'get away from it all' we have a place in southern Missouri to get to. Fishing, no phones, fire, etc. This trip (with all its costs) is to be different than that.
Thanks again for all the help and entertainment!