why a phone-free vacay is the best gift you can give yourself

August 28, 2018

can you remember the last time you went without your phone? not just an hour or two during church, a family meal, or doing homework. have you ever just left your phone in a drawer on airplane mode for a day? a week? a month? let me tell you, the longer you leave it the less you want it back.

i'm the first to admit that putting your phone away can be really hard at first. i used to hate leaving my phone at home for the day because I was scared I would miss important texts or just not be able to respond to people quickly. i now think it's freeing to leave it behind, and people don't care how long it takes you to respond (or at least they shouldn't).

two weeks ago i tried this out. i left my phone at home for the week for my family's vacation to michigan. it was hands down the best week of my summer.

here's what i learned:

1) the first night was hard!

i'm kind of embarrassed to admit this but i did feel a brief moment of regret the first night. we had been driving for hours and i just wanted to check my texts, and i thought to myself "why did you leave it at home this long, gracie, you could be getting important messages!" i took a minute and realized how silly i was being- i don't need my phone. this week is for me and my family.

2) the best moments don't always need to be posted

i did post one instagram (after I got back) recapping the amazing trip a little bit, but other than that my social media remained untouched the entire time we were there. i think it's easy to get caught up in thinking "aw we could get such a cute picture there" but this really isn't a healthy mindset. social media should not be something you think about when you plan vacations, time with friends, or where you're going to get coffee. you should be thinking about what you want to do! just because it's not on instagram does not mean it didn't happen. and in my opinion, the best pictures are the ones you take for a photo album you want to look at when you're older- not ones you take for the sole purpose of instagram.

3) being present is the truest form of happiness

this trip taught me that being present is far easier when your phone is out of the picture. spending time with your family, meeting new people, and exploring new places can feel even more genuine when you're disconnected. i have so many perfect little memories from this trip that I don't have pictures of. honestly, that's why they're perfect to me. they are for me and me alone.

4) phones aren't the problem

you can control if you have a good relationship with your phone or if you have an abusive one. if you find yourself spending a lot of time each day on it and you take it everywhere with you, then maybe you're abusing the privilege. if you use it when you need it but don't need to have it with you all the time, then i think you're just fine. don't use it as a lifeline to save you from awkward social greetings or boredom in the waiting room. say hi! read a book in the waiting room! bring your phone to dinner but don't put it on the table. take a picture with your friends but don't spend your whole time with them taking pictures. find a good balance.

5) real life is the best life

social media can be a great way to share our lives with others, but it's often filtered and only shows the best moments. in real life there are no filters. there are good moments and there are bad ones. living in real life and signing out of social media for a while was so much fun. it was so freeing. i would highly recommend it.

(i'm not saying that you should say goodbye to your phone for good or leave it at home for all vacations. it's just something i think everyone should try and learn to be comfortable with ;)

here are some camera pictures from our wonderful week in michigan.