Forever grateful for loosing my phone on the plane to Barcelona, here’s why…

When I mentioned I was going to Barcelona, the first thing anyone would say was “Watch your phone going down that Las Ramblas”. Literally everybody said, to the point where I was like right OK I get it chill out. So naturally I drink too much Prosecco and loose my phone on the actual plane going to Barcelona, my poor phone didn’t even make it past boarder control. It was almost as if my subconscious said yep your telling me to watch my phone when I get there? I’ll do you one better and loose it before I even land lol. 

I rely on my phone for a lot – so losing it should have made me get really stressed out but I just thought right, nothing I can do now may as well have a good time with out it. Meditation working wonders for my reactions every day. 

Barcelona with no phone 

We land and get a taxi to our hotel, check in and go straight out for drinks. Normally when I am out at a bar, if the person I am with goes to the toilet I lift my phone straight away and start scrolling. But this time I sat taking in the scenery and getting to know the staff. Well if I’m honest I was absolutely hammered so when I say ‘getting to know’ that really means bending the ear off the staff lol. 

Side note, I wish bars back home gave you snacks with every drink it’s my favourite thing ever. You order a beer and they fire down olives, nuts, cake – everything. I remember Pats bar down at the docks used to put a load of plates of sausages down on all of the tables but that’s the height of it. It’s closed down now, maybe that’s why haha. There’s something about getting a wee somethin’ something’ when you aren’t expecting it. 

The next day we were up early and out sight seeing, I was able to take in absolutely every second of my time there because I was in the present moment (and 70% San Miguel) – the whole time. I wasn’t scrolling, texting or looking for the perfect picture settings, I was experiencing it all the way it should be done. I don’t think I’ve done that since I was a child, it was amazing. 

We visited La Sagrada Familia and as soon as we stepped in Debras battery died so she was part of the no phone crew for a while too. We walked around it in awe  wishing we could take pictures but it was better not being able to. 

Arriving home with no phone 

I arrive home phoneless and thought right I need to get on the ball about getting a new one sent out. But a very big part of me was reluctant to, in fact I didn’t want to at all but I had to. Absolutely everything is linked up to my phone number with 2 factor authentication so I couldn’t even log into any social media on holiday. I needed my phone number back to get into my internet banking and stuff too so it was essential, although I waited 2 weeks before getting one sorted to stay in the peaceful, quiet zone with no phone. 

My mum had an old flip phone with no internet access, I got a new SIM card and topped it up. It felt like such a novelty I loved it. I had this secret number that only two people had (in case of emergency’s) and that was me sorted. No notifications other than phone calls and texts the way a phone should be. 

When I tell you I had the best week of my life I am not joking. Life with no notifications continued and it was HEAVEN. I would also like to add there is no better feeling than hanging up by snapping a flip phone closed – unmatched energy. 

I was able to use my phone for work calls and essential things and that was it, it has Tetris too actually. So I was going about my life with the same energy I had in Barcelona. Looking up instead of looking down, noticing everything around me and just being so grateful. There was so much more room in my brain to listen to my body, listen to my thoughts, be creative, sit with my emotions and enjoy the small things in life. 

I looked at my screen time and on average I have around 600 notifications a day, that’s a lot of energy, a lot of expectation from you/me as a person and also a lot of unnecessary sh*t that is taking up space in your brain. I wasn’t getting notified that Sharon down the road is fed up of people not picking up after their dogs on nextdoor.com or the stupid news headlines. Yes I missed a bit of craic in the Whats app groups but aside from that it was absolute bliss. We aren’t supposed to have access to this many people and this amount of useless and distracting information. If it does educate me or make me laugh I don’t want it. 

I’m back to my iPhone now but I still use my flip phone. You charge it up once and it lasts a week and a half by the way lol. I take my flip phone out with me when I want to get away from the notifications but want to have access to a phone just in case. 

I now have the notification barriers on my iPhone too – sleep mode, work mode and personal focus time. So when I have it turned on I only get notifications from a select few like my mum etc. 

When you go on holiday you turn your out of office on for work – do the same for your personal time. Take a break from the notifications. Buy a flip phone, and if you’re going to Barcelona, don’t look after your phone walking down Las Ramblas, loose it on the plane instead. 

Love Cat x 

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