Wonder beyond my little black mirror

Moving into a van amplified my passion for screen-free time—but it's remiss not to acknowledge how often fully logging off isn’t possible in our modern world.

Things I wouldn't have noticed today if I'd been looking at my phone

• A perfect tiny cardinal hopping through the underbrush on my walk back from the bathroom building

• Scout’s eyes impeccably tracking each squirrel in the tree above our picnic table

• The roar of the ocean reaching our campsite, all the way back here, nestled in the jungle trees

• An older couple trying to take a selfie on the bridge (so I could offer to take the photo for them)

• My discomfort when Sean went to the bathroom at our lunch restaurant and I was alone among strangers

• The subtle shifts in the sun’s rays—they lingered for what felt like forever—on the edge of Florida’s flat horizon

Things that gave me the freedom to not look at my phone

• My work doesn’t require me to be on call 24/7

• My flexible schedule means I can work ahead some days and then sign off other days

• I am not a caretaker for anyone besides Scout (who is always with us in the van), so I don’t have to keep tabs on camera feeds or text messages or voicemails

• My friends and family are in secure enough health that it’s okay for me to take a few hours or even a day without scanning for updates

• We’re settled in a secure and cozy campsite with clearly labeled paths

• I already downloaded multiple books to my Kindle and don’t need to refresh the Libby app any time soon

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It is both a joy and a privilege to take breaks from technology. Screen-free time is one of my growing passions, amplified since moving into our van—but it's remiss not to acknowledge how often logging off isn’t possible in our modern world. “Tech shaming has been our judgment du jour for years now,” writes Marissa Stephenson in Outside. “But [it] has a uniquely prevalent position in the outdoors.” (Her whole piece is worth a read.)

Here’s to embracing lengthy breaks from my phone—while not vilifying anyone, myself included, when those reprieves are out of reach.