Media Free Road Trip
Have you ever gone an entire month without a phone? How about while also driving in an RV across the country for weeks? Dive right into this weeks post to hear the adventures of my 14 year old self traveling the USA.
Have you ever gone an entire month without a phone? How about while also driving in an RV across the country for weeks? Dive right into this weeks post to hear the adventures of my 14 year old self traveling the USA.
So you’re at the airport, ready to go on your 2-week trip that you’ve been planning for months. You’re so excited to get going, that you’re actively uploading updates to your Instagram story when, “Oops, I’m sorry!” - You collide with someone while dropping, and also shattering, your phone. Your flight is on it’s last boarding call and it’s time to hop aboard this trip, phone-less.
How you might feel in that situation is probably similar to how I felt in the actual situation. I’m going to skip out on the details of why I got in trouble, but let’s just say that the summer after freshman year, I got in trouble for doing something stupid. I was typically a really good kid, so it was very unusual for me to need a “punishment”. Anywho, the situation resulted in my cell phone (and any other devices, laptops, etc.) to be taken away. For not just 2 weeks, but over a month! And of course it was right before we were about to depart for a 3+ week road trip across the United States.
That’s right - here’s 14 year old me, about to embark on a road trip with nothin’ but my Mom, Dad, Brother, Grandma, and our big ol’ RV (shout out to Cruise America). Little did I know that down the line, I’d give up my phone forever if it meant I could always have those people in my life. Luckily, I am still blessed to have all of them around, but my outlook on life has long since changed. Each day is a gift, a new opportunity, and a segment of your life you will never get back. Maybe this trip is what started to broaden my horizons?
Our trip began heading out west towards Mount Rushmore (one of my favorite spots). Of course we had plenty of stops planned along the way, as I get my organizational & planning skills from somewhere (cough, cough, mom). The first few hours, or maybe even days seemed slow. I didn't have any (digital) games to play, friends to text, or even camera to take photos with (what a complainer, am I right?). I did however, bring my journal (another great mom idea). She told me to write everyday of our trip. What I thought about. What I saw. What I ate. Just write it all, she said. At first I thought that was dumb and waived it off. However, after sitting through the first 5-6 hours of nothing but driving, writing actually didn't seem so bad.
So I did - I ended up writing every single day of that trip, and boy do I love going back and reading them. Or trying to at least - the RV was SO bumpy that some of the entries look like a first grader wrote them. But hey, at least I have these memories; And truthfully, if I had my phone, I know for a fact I wouldn't have these. The future Yelp-Elite in me can truly be seen in some of these entries... if nothing else, you sure know what I ate each day of the trip and how good (or not good) it was!
The lessons from this trip still continue to impact my life even today. As I think about my future children, part of me is always battling the idea of giving them devices and access to the whole world in an instant. However, I know that is unrealistic in today's world, and there are definitely many perks to technology, too. I will however, certainly pass along my stories such as this one to teach them the importance of being present.
Truth be told, I didn't miss any of my friends on the trip. I didn't miss social media, and I didn't miss having a camera. For once, I got to enjoy everything as it came to me. My brother and I had to come up with other ways to entertain ourselves, and we both spent more time engaging with each other, our parents, and our grandma.
Thinking back on the situation as a whole only makes me further believe that everything truly happens for a reason. Sure, I did something stupid and got in trouble for it - which not only taught me a lesson there, but gave me much more insight on life and what's important.
Take a moment to reflect as this year (& decade) comes to a close. What's important to you? Do you really exercise those values and put them first, or are you caught up in the day-to-day craziness & routines? As you begin to think about your new year's resolutions, keep those values in mind. You never know how your life could change in an instant, so make sure you are living in the moment.
See you all next year!
Also, enjoy some pics below from my trip out west :-)
(Which of course were taken on a real camera)
