At the start of 2019, I made a goal to get off my phone as much as possible (of course talking to my mom for hours a days was the only exception.) I decided to occupy my time with more important things like writing, reading, and going on adventures. At the time I thought this was going to last for about a week, but little did I know I would soon be getting off my phone for days at a time.
Once turning down my phone usage, I started looking into more fun activities I could partake in. The program I found and joined is called Project Peak. Project Peak is a program on campus where trip leaders take first-year students camping. When I tell you I knew nothing about camping, I mean absolutely nothing. I did do Girl Scouts back when I lived in California, however, we did glamping. So I guess I knew something? NO.
I have always been a nature lover, but this was completely out of my comfort zone. I ended up loving these experiences. First off, there was absolutely no service wherever we went, which was great. I wanted to post on Snapchat and show all the beauty, but I could not. This helped me to learn to enjoy life first before turning to social media first. Being off of our devices helped us to connect better with each other. Everyone I camped with, I developed a beautiful and close relationship with. It was amazing not having phones in the way to make friends. Within a couple days, we were all sharing secrets or making fun of each other. Whenever I am with them, it is some of the best days. We are constantly laughing and telling stories to entertain each other.
The best part of being with nature and off your phone is the ability to connect with yourself better. You do not have social media there to dictate your life or distract you. When you are around nature, you feel free and can do your own things. You start to forget about how you look because you don’t have a mirror. You just start to go with the flow of how you really want to feel and it is the best feeling ever.
During this semester, I encourage you all to make time to get out and go on an adventure or even go on a walk, without any electronics. Good luck this semester colliegetes!