For years, I’ve used Google Voice to handle my voicemail instead of the carrier solution. About 4 weeks ago I ported my cell phone number to Google Voice. Google Voice is just another VOIP carrier that has free SMS/calls to and from numbers in the US. The international rates seem good too. Some of my personal pro’s/con’s: Simple web interface to use, integrated Google Contacts with my google account. Easy. Voicemail service.
There are thousands of guides out there on this subject, however I still struggled to set up an IPSEC VPN at first. This is a HOWTO for my own benefit – maybe someone else will use it too. I struggled because most of the guides involved setting up the VPN on a NAT’d host and connecting to the VPN inside the network. I didn’t do that on my linode, which has a static public IP.
Since “announcing” my plans, I’ve received some of the same questions. Here goes: Q: Where are you staying in every country? A: I don’t care to micro manage every part of the trip. I’ll figure out where to stay when I get there. I’ll use overnight trains/planes and sleep while moving. When I get somewhere, I’ll go have a tea/beer and ask the locals/bartenders where to stay – it will be great.
It’s not a fantasy, I realize – the big dream is actually beginning! sab·bat·i·cal /səˈbatikəl/ Noun: any extended period of leave from one’s customary work, especially for rest, to acquire new skills or training, etc. I am writing this because it is not possible to tell EVERYONE that I know in an intimate setting about my travel plans. That is, I’m embarking on a Round-the-World trip starting in October of this year.
Preface: I use to use rsync.net for my offsite backup needs. They offer a nice solution, especially with the F/OSS contributor discount, but my needs were lesser than their offerings and I didn’t quite feel comfortable paying monthly for such needs. That is, get my critical (but small) backups off my host, MySQL, a few important files, etc. Most of my online world is now externally hosted (cloud) or easily rebuilt with key pieces of info.