I have a Skype-in number with a NJ area code. My family can call me on that and it rings on my computer here. You pay a monthly or annual fee to Skype for the number (about $75 for the year) plus $0.021 per minute for the call. You can also call land lines or mobiles in the US from your computer here for the same $0.021 per minute. If your computer has a built in mike, you need no additional hardware, but a headset usually works better and is not that costly. If you call computer to computer, it's free and if you have web cams, you can do a video call (also free). Its the easiest way to keep in touch. Here's the link to Skype: http://www.skype.com/intl/en/prices/