Take this portable instant messenger on the road

Staying in touch internationally using a phone is hugely expensive, so we tend to stick to using email to stay in touch with friends and family when abroad. Instant messaging clients are also a cheap and effective way of communicating with others, with the benefit of chatting in real-time rather than waiting for an email reply which could take much longer. However, your friends and family may use alternative message clients, so finding out who is online, and synchronising contacts between clients may be more difficult. This is where a cross-network messenger may prove helpful.  

Miranda Portable 0.7.10 is a small, free and portable cross-network messenger client. Simply put it on a USB stick and take it on the road for use on any computer connected to the Internet. Being cross-platform, you can chat with anyone using other instant messaging services. It can also be greatly enhanced with an extensive list of plug-ins.

Miranda Portable 0.7.10 link.