Especially with blogging being such a large part of my life, I’m on my phone quite a bit. There’s always something to take a photo of, an email to respond to, a social media channel to check, or a checklist to update.
“Do more things that make you forget to check your phone”
-Unknown
I’ve been traveling for a few days now and as I’ve been adventuring throughout the East Coast, I’ve come to find that there are certain moments in which I almost forget I have a phone. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve definitely been using my phone quite a bit throughout my trip (as you’ve probably noticed if you’re following along with my Instagram stories), but there have also been a good amount of times during which I’ve not touched my phone for an extended period of time. Those experiences have been so incredibly refreshing!
This trip has me bouncing between Boston and Cape Cod for the span of a little over a week. Especially when I was on the Cape a few days ago, I found myself checking my phone less and less. We visited the prettiest beach up in Hyannis and after the initial photos and videos that I took, I put my phone away and really, truly enjoyed my surroundings. I walked through the clear blue water, picked up pretty shells and rocks, discovered an actual sea animal living in a shell that reminded me of a conch, and spent over an hour and a half just enjoying the beach and the water without checking my phone or the time.
That experience in Hyannis has probably been one of my favorite parts of this trip so far. I’m definitely someone who’s really on their phone a bit too much (if I’m being honest here.) Having this experience of putting away my phone for an extended period of time has reminded me to live in the moment a bit more and to not always be so focused on staying connected with the outside world through my phone.
In a similar vein, it’s important to find people who make you forget to check your phone. From time to time I’ll meet someone who makes me genuinely forget to check mine whenever I’m hanging out with them. It’s not just that I want to stay off my phone because I think it’ll be rude of me to stare at a screen for an extended period of time while talking to them. (However, I will admit that that can be a factor too.) With some people, I can get so caught up in conversation and spending time with them that my phone becomes an afterthought because I’m too busy living in the moment and enjoying my time. These are some of my favorite people and exchanges, because for that period of time I feel that I’m really giving that person my 100% and fully sharing my time and focus.
All of this being said, I challenge you to make a real attempt to find things that make you forget to check your phone and people and places that drive you to live in the moment and fully enjoy your experiences.
