Your phone. These days it doesn't matter where you are or where you're going; your phone is going with you. It's as if our smartphones are an extension of our brains, as if without it we lose a part of our function as a human.

For me, I was recently on vacation with some friends when my 2-year-old iPhone was stolen. I had it stashed in my fanny pack and when I went to grab my phone, it was gone. Of course I went into a frenzy of retracing my steps and thinking, "How could this happen??" But what was done was done; it was gone.

I had to go for a couple of days without a phone - and it was liberating. After the whole experience, I realized there are so many good things that come out of losing your phone.

1. Frustration. But only a little bit. I had missed Snapchat, Instagram, and some of my other apps. Honestly it wasn't bad, mostly because those apps are pointless anyway.

2. Relief. For me, losing my phone meant losing accountability to reply to calls and texts. It's great. You don't have to worry about replying to anybody and it's just such a relief, with no one to answer to but yourself.

3. Nostalgia. Thankfully, I brought a super-cool-retro disposable camera with me on the trip, mostly so I could save battery life on my phone. Well that camera came in extra handy when my phone got stolen, and it felt like 2005 again! Back to simpler times.

4. Simplicity. Looking back, it really simplified my life not to have a smartphone. They complicate everything from their battery life, to when you can't get a hold of one of your friends. They sometimes cause too many problems than solutions, so it feels good when that weight gets lifted off your shoulders.

5. Better friendships. You'd think with a smartphone, you'd be more connected to more friends. For some reason, when you're attached to your phone, it's as if your attention isn't fully on who you're with. But when you don't have a phone, you're more connected to the friends who are physically with you because your attention is solely on them. Without a phone, I was just enjoying being there in the moment with my friends, not a care in the world! (Here's a disposable pic of all of us, pre-phone stealing.)

6. Better attention. It's crazy how much I paid attention to my phone, and I seriously noticed it after I didn't have it for a couple days. When you're so attached to your phone, your surrounding environment goes by the wayside completely. Maybe I'm crazy, but without a phone, I could better experience my trip and all of the sights and sounds around me. Everything just feels more real.

7. No-phone girl. After a while, I kind of felt like I became "no phone girl" because everyone else on my trip had their phones except me. Which was perfectly fine - I was ready to own my new thing. And I felt great so I could take all the jokes that came my way!

8. Disconnection. When you don't have a phone, you feel more connected to the world around you. You don't feel like you need to check in with anyone or anything or any app, for that matter. You can just do and think whatever you feel, without feeling the need to document or share everything going on.

All in all, I encourage anyone who thinks they might use their phone too much to take time and just turn off all your devices and pretend they just don't exist for maybe a couple hours per week. Be with the people you love and enjoy your world around you. With classes starting up for a lot of universities, it's now more important than ever to just take time away from devices and focus on the important stuff in life. You'd be surprised at all the positive effects. I know for me, it really opened up my eyes. It most certainly could for you, too!