Days 17 - 21 / A Digital Detox
No signal no problem
Phone signal: 0 bars (thanks O2)
Apps deleted: 12 (digital spring clean = good for the soul)
Messages ignored: ~446 (pure bliss)
Duolingo streak: 1164 days (pride and joy)
Yassas lovely people!
I’m back from a few offline days and not dead in a Greek ditch as feared by some (more on this to follow…)
But first, let’s backtrack. From the moment I landed on Leros, the universe (and/or O2) decided phone signal was not going to feature in my hermit chapter.
And honestly? I embraced it. No messages. No contact with the outside world beyond the parameters of my AirBnb’s wifi connection.
Plus, now I’ve discovered you can download areas in Google Maps, Suze and I are happily zipping around the maze of tiny island streets. No signal no problem for this hermit.
But I wanted to step things up a notch. I’ve dabbled in the odd day or two without a phone but really wanted to try something a bit bigger. No messages. No scrolling. No contact.
So I decided to go full digital detox mode. The rules were simple, only four apps allowed (die-hard digital detoxers don’t @ me):
Spotify (ABBA is essential nourishment)
Google Maps (island roads otherwise impossible)
Duolingo (sorry but my 1160 day streak is not going anywhere)
Apple Pay (a girl’s gotta eat)
Everything else? Logged out, deleted, notifications off. Screen turned to black and white.
Basically, I turned my phone into an iPod that’s optimised for navigation and learning Swedish
Detoxing
Day 17
Feeling good. Really good. I like deleting the apps. It feels cleansing and cathartic. A spring clean for the soul.
Have noticed a weird muscle memory twitch where I keep reaching for my phone to check for messages. A phantom limb itch of distraction.
Creepy.
Day 18
Oof, things are all clear and light. My concentration is through the roof. I’m ploughing through East of Eden at an alarming rate.
It’s made me realise how much I tend to entertain every little idea that crosses my mind. What’s the weather going to be like tomorrow? Google Leros weather. What did Katherine Howard actually look like? Ask ChatGPT. Is Steinbeck actually the John in East of Eden? Search Wikipedia.
But now, I let them go. Allow them to float happily past. Turns out they weren’t that important. And boy oh boy is my day flowing right now.
Day 19
Starting to get all the fizzles and fizzes of a big fat creativity boost. Like I’ve had a really good night’s sleep (which I did incidentally).
I’ve been playing with an idea for a bit of a writing project for a while. It’s kinda niche. It involves Tudors. Today I start to actually put some words on paper. Jot down ideas.
Day 20
Barely know where my phone is my this point. Spotify goes on in the morning, ABBA, Fleetwood Mac and just a sprinkling of Cher and it then gets abandoned until Duolingo o’clock in the evening.
And you know what, I hardly even miss it at all.
Day 21
Final day. Mixed feelings.
On the one hand, it’s giving 2005 holiday vibes, where you come home to a week’s worth of texts to dive straight into. Hurrah! Friends! I’m kind of excited to hear what everyone has been up to.
On the other hand, I’m dreading it. The multiple inboxes to catch up on. The replies to my replies. Urghhh how many times it is socially acceptable to copy and paste ‘sorry just catching up after my dig detox!!!’ hmm.
Reconnection
That evening, I ease myself back in. Redownload WhatsApp (with gritted teeth), open iMessages, and find one from my dad asking if I’m okay. A missed call. An email asking the same.
Turns out I forgot to mention to my ex (who’s currently cat/flat-sitting for me) that I was going offline. He tried to get in touch about an ant infestation. Then about a blocked kitchen sink.
When I didn’t reply, he messaged my mum. My mum then messaged my brothers. Nope, they hadn’t heard from me either.
She then (somehow?!) found my Airbnb host and messaged her. There was talk about calling the local police.
Whoops.
So no, can confirm am not dead in a ditch. Just went offline for a few days.
And honestly? Would I do it again?
Absolutely.
Might just remember to warn the cat-sitter next time.
No phone for a few days sounds dreamy (minus the scaring of family and friends 😅). I really thought about how you had so many questions pop into your head that you'd normally reach for your phone to Google/find out and how you just let them float by. We live in an age of instant knowledge. I was recently on a flight and this happened multiple times -- I reached for google so many times but just had to sit there and ponder. In the beginning I was annoyed because I just NEEDED to know the answers! But then, after a while it felt freeing. I got to use my imagination. Love following your travels!
Love this for you! I had a similar experience in Big Sur, went to a silent retreat at a monastery and had no signal, didn't get a message to my parents pre signal loss and yes never underestimate your parents investigative abilities!! There was also talks of police and searching hospitals for people of my likeness 😅 but what blissful ignorance it was