Is the best way to connect by disconnecting?

Last month my son was invited to go on a sailboat through the British Virgin Islands for almost 2 weeks. He was with his two friends and one of their dads. My son is 17, and like most of us, he is always connected…but not in the meaningful way I want to him to connect. He is connected to his phone, and from there to his friends, watching influencers, looking at who is doing what and where. 

At first, I am sure he was thrilled that I wasn’t with him on the boat as a constant reminder. “Put your phone down, take it all in! Look at the gorgeous water, the fish, the islands. Talk to your friends, read a book, take a minute.”

And then it happened, on day 5.

He dropped his phone in the water.

He was pretty upset, but there was not much I was willing to do, and he adjusted remarkably well. Let’s be honest, I would never go away without my phone. Figuring out how to actually disconnect while on your vacation means something different for everyone, but this is where the magic happens! I didn’t tell him, but I put an empty journal and a pencil in his backpack when he left. There was not an empty inch of space on any page when he returned. Success, and he actually saw the British Virgin Islands. Lucky kid.