The Disconnected Trip
By Annie Quimby
On the way to the airport, days after turning 18 and hours before departing on an Iceland vacation, I forgot the password to my phone.
I’ll be honest, the first few hours were difficult. I was in denial and utter disbelief that my muscle memory had simply failed me. I had completely forgotten the numbers that unlocked what I felt was my whole world and tool for connection. And yes, how completely Gen-Z of me, but let’s be honest, almost all of us can admit to an overreliance on our devices.
However, during the 10-day trip with my mom and sister that followed, I soon realized that this absolute fluke was one of the best happy accidents that I, as a traveler, could have asked for.
Our trip to Iceland entailed a complete view of the country via the famous Ring Road and a final three-day stop in Reykjavik. Without a glowing screen, I was left with my purple digital camera, a Sudoku book, a novel, and a car window to look out of. Within the first few days, I learned the lesson that came to define my trip— the one of presence.
In the Northern town of Húsavík, we spent an early morning whale watching. I spent that cool morning on the boat with my eyes glued to the water. Before, when I’d witness something beautiful, my natural instinct was to pull out my phone to take a picture. I found that most of the time, the pictures didn’t do the subject justice and left me forgetting the entire experience. That Icelandic morning, when we were lucky to see two humpback whales surface, I simply watched in awe.
At Reynisfjara, one of the country’s beautiful black sand beaches, the lesson of presence imbued me again. I watched my sister traipse across the dark sand, admired the ocean waves hitting the shore, and took quick and meaningful pictures on my handy purple camera rather than dozens.
Even the long hours spent in the car were spent with purpose. My presence on this vacation meant that I had more capacity to fully engage with my family. Our long car rides were spent laughing over childhood memories, listening to treasured playlists, and sitting comfortably in each other's silences.
I can confidently say that I was more present in those 10 days than I had been in a long time, making that vacation the best I’ve been on to date. Often when we go on vacation, it’s a short pause in the midst of chaos and stress. Removing my phone allowed me to truly slow down and give myself time to think while also sharing moments with loved ones.
The next time you travel, I encourage you to forget the password. Get the paper boarding pass. Bring along your old digital camera, or don’t, and just soak it in. Bring a novel, or perhaps a Sudoku workbook like I did.
There is a certain spirituality that comes with traveling the unknown, and while we may reach a place of wholeness with our phones in our back pocket, only when they are removed can we truly relax into the journey.
