There’s nothing quite like getting to know people like cramming six friends into a four-person tent. This was proven last Friday as five of my favorite people and myself decided to venture off and set up camp for a night of card games, unhealthy snacks and non-stop laughter. Throughout the night embarrassing stories were shared, hilarious photos were taken and the natural beauty of the river and the sky rose proudly. It was just a few minutes and a few hundred yards from our rooms, but it was more fun than we could have imagined.
During our walk back to our rooms, someone mentioned that a couple of the photos they had taken of a flock of birds hadn’t turned out very well. Someone else nodded in agreement and I had an “ah-ha!” moment with an idea I’ve held for quite awhile was finally able to put into words.
No matter how many pictures or Snapchats or Instagram posts are made, they’ll never measure up. Being immersed in the moment and not trying to save it for the next day or week or year has a rarity to it that just can’t be matched. The moments that we have must be experienced in the moment -- nothing can compare to living life in this way.
I had spent most of the night with my phone on airplane mode in a bag. Thinking back, I realize how much more clear the night felt and how much more crisp my memories are. There was no flash of a text message in my peripheral vision, just Calloway’s face lighting up as she cried “Uno!” I wasn’t worried about not catching up on Snapchat stories as Logan, Mara and I lost our breath from laughing. I didn’t feel out of the loop in missing a few Facebook status updates while helping Anna and Mia pack up our tents. It is incredible to know that I was wholly present for those moments. I learned a lot about people who are dear to me, and I’m okay only having a few photos of what transpired. I feel closer to them all and I’m so grateful I pushed technology to the back burner for awhile, and I think I’ll make a habit of it.
No text message is worth missing a sunrise. There isn’t a photo of a mountain online that can’t be beat by climbing one yourself. Who cares how many likes you get when you could spend a night making more laughs than possible to count?
Present-mindedness is a concept I’ve mulled over now and again, but never thought much of. I am a millennial through and through, and I’m proud of that, but there are some things in my life that need more balance. I learned this weekend that being able to feel truly connected to the people in the sleeping bags next to me is one of them. So whether I put my phone up for lunches from now on or keep it on my dresser during movie night, I realized after just one attempt to let go of that sense of security how much good it can do. Letting go of my concern for what is due on Monday is okay for a couple of days -- it’ll get done by Sunday night. I don’t have to feel readily available for everyone I know because sometimes I need to be with a few of them.
I made some realizations for myself, and I formed stronger connections with people I love. Even writing this sentence is making me smile like an idiot at my computer screen and making my heart swell with joy. There is no telling how many opportunities to make memories like this I may have missed, but I plan to stop letting that be a concern for me from now on. I’m in the moment and I’m in love with it.
