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I’ve written articles about doing a digital detox and even done some short ones but they were all planned. My recent trip to North Carolina though was a digital detox of a completely different sort and completely unplanned.
So what happens when a certified geek and smartphone junkie gets into the mountains of North Carolina and discovers that her phone seems to be on permanent No Service status?
I had planned on taking a bit of a vacation for my 55th birthday. The recent passing of my mom had made this the first I would celebrate without her in my physical life so I wanted to get away. It was going to be my first vacation in eight years and I was looking forward to it yet a bit freaked out.
Once I realized my freak out was more because I was no longer used to being able to go away without worrying about making sure my mom would be okay while I was away I was able to at least pack the car up and tell my friends I would come. Yet, it still sat in my mind that the only reason I could go was because mom was no longer alive.
As I was driving I started having some nausea and vertigo issues and thought, “I should turn around, I must be getting sick.” but the thought of turning around gave me greater panic than continuing on so I kept going. Turns out the car was causing the issues but that is a story for another day. Tears began to stream and a full blown panic began to happen. Thankfully my iPhone was working and I was able to reach out to dear friends and the car dealer about the car and have a lifeline during the eleven hour drive.
Just as I arrived at my friend’s house in Spruce Pine, literally moments after I hung up with them being guided into their driveway as my cell phone and car GPS seemed to stop working, I noticed my cell phone now said No Service. I figured it was just a weird blip of satellites and cellular signal and would correct itself in a few moments. Well not so much!
For the next few days my phone seemed to be in a state of mostly permanent No Service mode. There was one spot near a window in one of their bathrooms that if I stood very still I could get a signal and make/receive calls and texts. Sometimes text would work even when it said No Service but mostly not. My unplanned digital detox was on.
Take a listen to this episode of my radio show and hear how it went. I would love to hear about your own digital addiction and/or detox if you are willing to share with me on Facebook or Twitter what comes up for you at the thought of a digital detox.
Laura Steward is a sought after business strategist, keynote speaker, radio host and author. After building and selling her highly successful multi-state technology services company she started Wisdom Learned, LLC, a company dedicated to educating leaders based on experience and wisdom learned in the trenches.
Ms. Steward is the author of the Nautilus award-winning, International bestselling book “What Would a Wise Woman Do? Questions to Ask Along the Way”. Through her weekly broadcast Radio Show, It’s All About the Questions, keynote speeches, books, seminars, training and one-one sessions, Laura’s mission is clear ? help people get off autopilot and create amazing, successful lives.