In our distant past people were tied to a patch of land where they raised crops or livestock. They had a few stores in their immediate region and that's where they conducted any business they needed for their operation.

As years passed larger department stores arrived. Cars were built to drive faster and longer. Roads were improved and the Interstate system developed. Soon people were dreaming of far away places and visiting relatives hundreds of miles away. People saw beautiful places only described in brochures and on postcards.

Soon, extended vacations were the norm. Sometimes families would fly halfway around the world to enjoy an exotic location or they would find a place on a cruise ship and enjoy a tropical climate.

Then came the Internet.

Suddenly people found it much easier to carry on conversations with other people from a variety of cultures. The world was not the large ominous place they once thought. The world shrunk. Communication became instantaneous and international friendships were forged.

As gas prices continue to rise it becomes more and more difficult to pay for long trips and air travel. We are reverting back to spending more time on our little patch of terra firma, but now we have something our forefathers did not.

Today we can stay in contact with business associates around the world and we can do so with a few simple keystrokes and clicks. We can gain access to videoconferences and can even talk over the web.

We can travel virtually anywhere without ever leaving home.

Business has understood this change in dynamics. While some stores are closing shop others have made the move to an online environment and welcomed those international cyber travelers to drop by and pick something up from their trip.

Internet businesses are delivering an impressive number of packages directly to the door of those who order.

Many consumers are finding it much easier to simply stay home and shop than to use precious fuel heading to multiple shops, trying to find a parking spot and waiting in lines.

What some businesses may have believed was a novelty that would wear off has become huge business. There may be less impulse buying online, but it hasn't stopped people who have a need or desire from finding the products they want and having them shipped in.

There may not be as many family farms anymore, but many people are becoming increasingly tied to the place where they live. What has made this bearable for those who enjoy other locations is the fact that the Internet brings it all home any time of the day or night.

With transportation costs continuing to escalate it is likely that online shopping will continue to increase in a medium that facilitates global connection.