This might come as a shock to my fellow avid cellphone users, but surprisingly enough I went on vacation without access to Internet on my phone for almost five entire days; yes, you read that correctly. Five. Entire. Days. Zero phone service means no texting Mom, Dad, besties-for-the-resties or those flirtatious boys/girls you're crushing on (hearts may be broken, I know). Zero phone service means checking social media apps every morning, night or minute of every hour is impossible; the thought of losing a Snapchat streak, not posting an artsy Instagram photo, failing to write a Facebook status to update followers on each exciting moment of a trip sounds completely insane, but it happened. As torturous as this sounds, at the end of my trip I found myself thinking: "I don't want to turn my phone back on."
How can this be? Aren't I supposed to jump back into reality with full force ready for text messages, phone calls, emails, schooling and most importantly the variety of social media apps? I think the average person would say yes, as if cellphones guide our entire lives when really I don't believe they have to. Society has only evolved causing such a mindset. Don't get me wrong, the ways technology has improved lives by quickening tasks, easing communication and connecting ideas is mind blowing. I do, however, believe it is far too easy to become wrapped up in the world which lives within a screen that fits in the palm of a hand; I find myself doing so anyway.
The reason I wish I could keep my phone off is because I was able to rediscover the world without seeing it through a mobile device; I could experience my life, my adventures, my friends and my thoughts through my senses alone. I wasn't thinking about how I would instantly share my experiences with others. A phone encompasses more responsibility than the user might realize. There are responsibilities to respond to texts or calls in a timely matter (which I fail to do; sorry everyone, you understand), responsibilities to email professors and classmates regarding schoolwork, responsibilities to "like," "favorite" or share photos, statuses and tweets as often as possible, and responsibilities to download and participate in the latest trending games.
Participating on your phone in these are not "bad" per sé, I simply find the responsibilities tend to become overwhelming; they consume the mind, causing the real world outside the little phone screen to become less exciting. The most important things may be taken for granted: strangers; sunsets; flowers; bike rides; quiet time; self appreciation (these are important to me, and I lose sight of the things I love sometimes); or whatever gets you up in the morning.
Zero service meant I was able to become more in touch with me. I was able to read on a dock for hours, taking in every word of amazing authors; I heard silence -- absolute silence; I honestly could not remember the last time that occurred in my loud life. I swam without (much) worry, I was overly excited during fishing and relaxed while stargazing. I listened more intently, laughed more genuinely, and learned with absolute wonder. Without my phone, my life seemed at ease, and then I realized, it's not that my phone makes my life more difficult, it's how much time I spend with the device that affects how I see the world.
This post isn't meant to say: "Phones are poison!" "Stay away from social media!" "Stop texting, using Pinterest or doing anything electronically engaging!" I want to bring attention to the intriguing world outside our phones which can become put on the back burner. You've all heard "get off your phone" or "be present," yadda yadda. Yet, those words are entirely true and it took my little vacation away from the U.S.A. for it all to click. So, these are simply some words of encouragement to spend less time in the "fascinating" world of phones and spend a lot more time finding yourself and experiencing an incredible world around you, this goes for myself included. Challenge yourself to be in the world and not of it. P.S. Don't worry -- going without your cellphone will not lead to death.
