It started at the Unplugged retreat. They took away our phones for the weekend, forcing us to unplug and interact with the people around us.

Then the semester began, along with new classes. I was determined to break my bad habit of texting during my classes, borne from a time when I struggled with excessive daytime drowsiness and used my phone to stay awake.

Refraining from texting (and mindlessly scrolling) in class has been a struggle, but it's drastically improved the quality of my life. I'm more engaged in discussions, I hear the little jokes my classmates make, and I'm pretty sure my professors like me better now.

Three weeks into a mostly texting-free semester, I stumbled one day. I was in my 6-10 pm class, caught in the middle of a conversation that compelled me to anxiously check my phone every couple minutes. I kept my phone off my desk, but reached into my bag for it far too many times. I'd been doing so well! But that night, I stumbled.

A few hours later, my phone took a dip in the toilet.

It held up well at first despite the water damage. Regardless, I took it to a phone repair shop the next day to get it fixed up. What I expected to be a simple one-hour procedure turned into multiple trips to and from the store, where they ended up keeping my phone overnight while it dried out.

This is what it feels like to be unplugged: driving home without a GPS, missing a meeting with no way to contact your group members, and wondering if anyone has tried to call. For the smartphone addict it feels like missing a limb, like losing an ear or arm or eyeball. Like being severed from a part of yourself that--shameful as it is to admit--you rely on all the time.

My period of phone deprivation was, ultimately, not as stressful as I feared. I texted my mom on my roommate's phone, woke up early without an alarm, and used my old iPod to tell time. Without my phone, I had no choice but to plug into my surroundings.

Then that afternoon, I returned to the repair shop and got my phone back for good.

I'd love to say that my life has changed as a result of unplugging. I suppose I could implement more distance from technology, but I honestly have no desire to go without a phone. Too much depends on the constant communication that smartphones allow: my job, my friendships, and my ability to remember passwords all depend on keeping my phone close at hand.

But once in a while, it feels amazing to unplug. To take a walk on the beach or a hike through nature without worrying about the step counter. To read a book on the lawn with no playlist but the wind's soft whisper. To meet with a friend and truly immerse yourself in the conversation, ignoring messages from the outside world.

And most importantly, don't take your phone into the bathroom. It just isn't worth it.