Submitted by Nicole Boylan on the 2018 summer session program in Italy and Spain sponsored by the School of Public Policy and Administration…
Throughout this entire program, I have realized the importance of disconnecting from wifi/technology, but it has become more prominent now that we are on the cruise portion of this program, as I do not have wifi at all. In Italy, I could only use my phone to check messages or social media when I was at our lodgings, as that was usually the only place I had wifi. Otherwise, I only used my phone to take pictures. Now that I am on the cruise, my phone is basically useless other than taking pictures. It is honestly very refreshing to be completely disconnected from my phone. Other than not being able to contact my friends and family, I do not miss being able to check my phone.
By not having the ability to check my phone, I feel like I am so much more present in every moment. Instead of strolling through Instagram or Facebook when I am bored or restless, I get up and do something or observe my surroundings. When I have down time on the ship before dinner or in between activities, I try to make the most of my time and go to the pool or the top deck and watch the ocean with my friends.
Another thing I have noticed is that when we are docked at a port and go out to explore the port, at some point, we usually end up being able to access wifi at a café. However, everyone then becomes glued to their phones again. I fell victim to this initially, but then I realized that we were missing out on enjoying our meals or our surroundings by doing this. After noticing this, I decided to only connect to wifi so I could update my family on where I was that day and check our class’s GroupMe. Otherwise, I made it a point to become completely disconnected. I think being disconnected from my phone is extremely important and I think that is something I would like to bring home with me so I can continue to be immersed in my surroundings even when I am not travelling.