A nice day without social media

Over the past couple of days, the weather has been amazing. I've enjoyed the nice weather with degrees from 69-74. One of my favorite seasons is spring because it's never too cold or too hot, which is why I took advantage and went outside more. Yesterday I went to a beautiful park in Laurel with my girlfriend and her family. We had a picnic and walked around soaking up the nature insight. There was laughter in the air and everyone really enjoyed themselves. We walked through a trail and even took our dogs, Zara and Max. Zara enjoyed the nice weather, she even dipped her little paws in the pond. 

As we walked around and played at the park, I noticed one specific thing; I wasn't using my phone. Normally I'm on my phone 24/7, but yesterday was different. I didn't feel the need to check my texts or go on Instagram. Of course, I received notifications from social media apps, but sooner or later I got tired of my phone buzzing and just turned it on do not disturb. It felt good to not be on my phone but instead interact with others. I actually took time to take in the beauty of nature and appreciate the moment I was having with people I love. I was proud of myself for not getting on my phone, the only time I did want to use it was to take pictures of what I saw or thought was pretty. I've been to many parks before, but I would have to say that this was the most peaceful one. When we sat by the pond, I felt peace in watching the geese passing by and looking at the beautiful sky. 

Yesterday was overall a great day, staying off of social media felt good. I wasn't bored or looking for something to do, I was just enjoying nature. Once I left the park I realized that my phone was still on 72%. That may not be surprising to others but for me, it was because usually by that time of day (6:00) my phone is below 20%. I felt proud of myself for not looking at a screen all day but instead living out in the real world. As humans, we get too caught up on social media and looking at our phones that we don't get enough time to enjoy the outside. I suggest going out whenever the weather is nice and maybe even leaving your phone at home if you're comfortable enough. Unless you're like me who enjoys taking pictures of everything :). I hope for more days like this in the future! So take after me and go outside sometime soon, I promise you won't regret it! 

-VANESSA