SuZan Klassen

Is it possible to travel without your cell phone in this day and age? We were about to find out. Not on purpose mind you. But let me back up in this tale.

A few days before we flew to Florida this past spring I developed bronchitis. You know the kind, when you’re coughing up a lung? I was able to begin an anti-biotic, thank goodness. However, I still felt like I was walking around in a brain fog.

During all that coughing the oxygen level to my brain must have been depleted. I left my cell phone home. Alone. What would it ever do without me?

Among the frustrations involved with this: how were we going to make connections without phone numbers? They were all stored in my cell phone.

More importantly, my reading material was on that phone. Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while know that when my husband and I travel we always carry at least one book apiece in our carry-on luggage. However, in the interest of traveling extra light I was conducting an experiment for this trip. Instead of hauling two books in my suitcase, I loaded two books onto my smart phone.

Reasons for the Experiment:
• It was only a 4-day trip.
• We were traveling a new airline. We wanted to follow their rules to the letter.
• We wanted to pack lighter than usual to avoid extra charges.
• We wanted to take only one carry-on, shared between us.
• I wanted to see how much reading I could do on my phone without going crazy.

I much prefer holding and reading from an honest to goodness actual book. For me it’s much better than staring at a tiny screen or a larger computer screen for that matter since I already do that all day for work.

Reading is like a reward for me. I enjoy reading to relax in the evenings. What was I going to read since the books were downloaded on my phone instead of packed in my suitcase?

Thank goodness, I did bring one thin magazine along. If I rationed my reading to only one story per evening, I should be able to make it.

How did we do without my cell phone?
• We were fine at the airport because I printed off our boarding passes at home—just in case.

• Biggest snafu—the phone number for our Florida contact was only stored on my phone.
(Note to self: Make sure hubby has all necessary contact info on his phone, too.)

• Our Florida contact was our driver. When he couldn’t reach me, he reasoned (being the enterprising young fellow he is) her phone must be turned off. Oh well, it’s not a big airport. They’ll probably be out front waiting for me. He was right. We were. Problem solved.
(Note to self: Keep this fellow’s contact information for future reference. He knows how to think for himself.)

• How would we access the information to obtain our boarding pass for the trip home? I worried needlessly. We found info via our boarding pass access code.
(Note to self: Make sure hubby has all necessary flight info on his phone, too.)
(Second Note to self: Hold onto old boarding passes and store in a secure location away from prying eyes until safely at home.)
(Third Note to self: Stop worrying needlessly.)

• Wonder of wonders, I survived with my one thin magazine.
(Note to self: always carry one thin magazine—just in case.)

Once upon a time and not that long ago, we all traveled without cell phones. Drop down to the comments section below. Tell me about your travel experience prior to cell phones. Or tell me about something you unintentionally left home alone.

Until next time . . . Travel Light,
SuZan

© 2019 SuZan Klassen