As a freelance writer, I’m a chronically online person. When my phone buzzes, I have to look. Did that editor reply yet? Did I receive any new cool product pitches? Even when I turn on do-not-disturb mode, I find myself opening my phone to check my muted notifications.
At home, it is a nuisance I can live with. But on recent trips to Las Vegas, Barcelona and London, I started to notice that my phone was preventing me from connecting with new places. On a serene bus ride between Barcelona and Andorra, I found myself ignoring the Pyrenean peaks out the window to respond to inconsequential emails.
