I went a solid four hours without going on my phone recently, it was even in a row. Impressive right? I had no service. The funny thing is, I was so busy winding through the terrifyingly treacherous mountains of Glacier National Park, staring in awe at the snow capped mountains in 90 degree weather and peering through the sparse, wildfire charred trees for any glimpse of wildlife, that I didn’t miss it for a second.
My dad gives the rest of the family a lot of crap for always ‘glowing’ with a computer or phone screen, sometimes both at the same time. And it pains me to say this, but he does have a point. We (teenagers and adults alike) can spend an ungodly amount of time with some app pulled up, mindlessly scrolling through junk that adds nothing to our lives.
Instead we could be taking a hike, appreciating the fact that this year marks the Centennial of National Parks (thanks Roosevelt). Or riding horseback through a muddy terrain. We could be roaring through rapids hoping the tiny raft doesn’t fling you out to the mercy of the waters. Or laughing to the point of tears at the absurdity of Cards Against Humanity. By glowing 24/7, we miss out on chances to benefit from genuine human connection or have a new experience that we’ll remember forever.
As a millennial, I will never say smartphones or laptops are a bad thing. Both make life easier and allow you to do really amazing things if you want to. This laptop is letting me sit outside and type this with a view of the mountains in every direction with a fresh Montana breeze and grasshoppers chirping around me. So while I’m glowing, the beauty of the scenery is not lost on me, but once I finish typing this, I will be ditching the technology and laying in the hammock or going antique shopping at slightly sketchy shops along the road, or going back for another round of hiking through the park. I will be making memories and enjoying the outdoors. I'm on a road trip, that’s what they’re all about.
The road trip has always been the trademark family vacation, and in case you’ve never been, it is very similar to a Griswold trip (especially when your dad is just like Clark). We spend hours packing the van and getting ready, running in and out of the house and going back for forgotten sunglasses or books before finally getting on the road. Once we do, it’s late nights, tired bickering, sometimes unsanitary truck stops at 2 a.m. and surviving on trail mix until there’s a decent restaurant in sight. It is also detouring to see the view from a mountain you just drove up, finding out about the oldest building in the little historic town from the locals and curling up with your family to watch the world you’ve never yet seen fly by outside your window. You can’t get that a mile above the clouds or in 140 characters on Twitter.
Just take some time to put the phone away. Then go a step further and actually do something. I promise, you won’t miss it and you don’t need it. It would just get in the way, we are classically conditioned to check our phones routinely and every time we do, we risk getting sucked into the glow and missing out on something happening past it.
I really hope my dad doesn’t read this because then he’s going to know I said he was right and that never ends well. But because of his poking fun at us for being so glued to our phones, I did put it down and take a trip, and I’ve loved every second of it. I mean, I didn’t leave it alone and I do still have a mini heart attack when I see my battery life at 2%, but I have taken the time to appreciate what’s around me. Just try it. It might be a day to go to your local National Park, or overnight to visit that one city you’ve heard all about, or you might be like my family and drive 30 hours to Montana. No matter what you pick, it’s worth it. Four hours without technology will do you good.
