The Challenge of Reconnecting When Disconnecting.

In a world that so demands that we be "connected", it can be down right stressful and just as challenging to find a graceful way to reconnect after actively choosing to disconnect.

When I open my phone and turn off airplane mode when I am hiking, I hold my breath. I am not sure what kinds of notifications are going to appear. Maybe it is a cute message from a friend? Perhaps my dog died in my mother’s care? Perhaps it is some world breaking news.

This time it was an earthquake warning, my friend informing me that the pope died and she misses me, and the announcement that student loan policies might be changing.

How bad is it? I think to myself, as I open up both my messages to check that my friends and family are well and then briefly look at my student loan and retirement account to assess the damage. It’s minor, thank God.