Wired Vacations: Do You Pack the Blackberry?

June 29, 2006 — -- Ever feel as if you can't get away from the office, no matter how far you go?

It isn't your imagination, what with your BlackBerry, cell phone and e-mail making it easier to keep in touch with your colleagues during your vacation.

"The lines are so blurred now between having a life outside of work and working," said Marjorie Brody, author of "Help! Was That a Career Limiting Move?"

And as summer arrives, the traditional season for long weekends and breaks from work, many workers feel as if vacation is frowned upon.

When Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott took off an entire month in May, the company had to quash rumors he was leaving.

With more tech gadgets in folks' pockets every year, the travel industry is doing all it can to satisfy this all-work attitude and provide a little rest-free relaxation.

If you're packing your bags for water parks, or seaside areas like Hermosa Beach in California, or the Grand Canyon, don't forget the laptop, because they all now offer Wi-Fi .

Prefer a cruise? Don't worry about missing important calls while at sea, because Carnival Cruise Lines just announced it's offering cell phone service aboard its ships.

But Brody warns, even when technology is available, it's good to remember why you're on vacation.

"Just because it's available doesn't mean you have to partake," said Brody. "Does all this work matter if in fact your children don't know who you are?"

But if you ignore the advice and don't shut off your e-mail while on vacation -- when you head back to the office why not take a little work time to copy the digital photos from the trip? Call it payback for a lost vacation.