Staying connected while traveling has its upside, like handling logistical things and being able to work from almost anywhere (like I did living in Dakar, Senegal for the last two years.)
But, there is a dark side too, because it's now so much harder to get away. All you have to do is use your phone for one minute — maybe to take a photo, perhaps — and BAM, you get a notification that takes you back to the world you were hoping to forget.
Which is why, considering how important it is to periodically unplug, we’re offering a list of the approaches I use to disconnect from "reality".
1. Go Remote
This is the original way to unplug, by heading off into nature. But even in sparsely populated areas you can be surprised to have a signal.
The answer is to invest in going further. Backpack overnight. Visit someplace interesting, but less famous. Don’t hike the name brand hike, do the one right next to it; and maybe, off season.
These days you have to go deeper. Which is more fun, anyway.
2. Be Away From Land
Ignoring a satellite phone, there is one sure place to go without reception, and that’s the ocean.
Being at sea is so special because one’s whole focus is around the rhythms of the sun, the wind, the waves, which I find resets my existence to a more primal level.
One way to do this is on a sailboat. You can get captained charters in sailing meccas like the Caribbean.
Another is to visit an island that itself is far away. This places me not at sea, yet immersed in it.
3. Go Where Phones Are Less Used
Go where the culture says No. Someplace you'd be embarrassed to use your phone.
In my travels, I've met people across the world who live very different lives with at least one bad habit in common: they too live on their phones.
But enter cafe culture in Morocco, or have a glass of wine in France and phones are a no-no. Beyond the pressure to confirm, the joy of whatever it is everyone is so focused on - maybe music, or conversation, or just watching the world go by - will keep you grounded.
Seeing different ways of adopting technology is a way of learning from a foreign culture. You might be inspired to change a habit back home.
4. Buy a Local SIM Card
The last way to mix travel with a small unplug is to simply change your number. By buying a local SIM card you can still handle logistics, but with fewer interruptions. If you temporarily disable your primary number to not see alerts, you can still give your new Ethiopian / Argentinian / French number only to those who need it most.
Maybe I'm uncommon in this regard... that I need a big reset to change my perspective, but I don't think so.
Desperate times call for desperate measures.
Bluff On,
Stefan Loble
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