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A Weekend Without My Phone

Last month, my friend Lena suggested something unusual: a weekend without our phones. I laughed at first, because I use mine for everything—messages, maps, music, even paying for things. (1) ........... On Saturday morning, we met at the train station and put our phones in our backpacks on silent mode. We promised not to touch them unless it was a real emergency. At first, the journey felt strange. (2) ........... We simply watched the countryside and talked. When we arrived, we walked to a small lake near the town. There were families having picnics and people riding bikes. I wanted to take a photo, but of course I couldn’t. (3) ........... I started noticing details like the sound of birds and the reflections on the water. In the afternoon, we got a little lost while trying to find a footpath. Normally, I would open an app and follow the blue dot. Instead, we asked an older couple for directions. (4) ........... It made me realise that most people are happy to help if you speak politely. That evening, we cooked pasta in the hostel kitchen and played cards with two travellers from Spain. Without checking our screens, we actually listened to each other’s stories. (5) ........... When I finally turned my phone on Sunday night, I had lots of messages, but none of them were truly urgent.