Blog | Money, Business & Entrepreneurship Tips | Noreen Hynes

That panic when you leave the house without your phone? Noreen Hynes knows it well. Written during her gap year in Australia and updated for 2026, this is an honest reflection on technology addiction, digital wellbeing, and taking back control.

In 2014, my husband and I retired, packed up our home in Dalkey, and flew to Sydney for a year to be with our daughter and grandchildren. What followed was one of the best decisions of our lives — and a lesson in not letting possessions hold you back.