I recently returned from having spent a week onboard a liveaboard dive boat. The trip was in the Gulf of California, also known as the Sea of Cortez. We traveled from Phoenix to Puerto Penasco before getting on the boat and heading to the Midriff Islands located approximately 130 miles southwest of the port. Even though the islands are in close proximity to Baja California, they are quite isolated. I would essentially be off the grid; disconnected for the entire week. Would I suffer withdrawals? Would I constantly be reaching for my phone to check social media or email? Or would I choose to embrace the solitude of being isolated for the week. I decided I would take advantage of the loss of the cell service and no wifi access and that was liberating.
On this journey of electronically disconnecting, I started early – at the Mexican border. As we made our way to Lukeville, AZ and began to offload our bags for our pedestrian crossing, I made one final check of the cell phone and then I turned it off – cold turkey. We crossed into Mexico after having our luggage checked. This time, the Mexican immigration office was closed and we did not get any formal documentation that we had entered. Would I now be an illegal alien? Hopefully we wouldn’t get asked for our papers.
On the way from Sonoya to Puerto Penesco, I did feel the urge to take my iPhone from my pocket and check email, social media feeds or the news. By avoiding the distraction of the phone, you can begin to observe the stark beauty of the Mexican desert. The various species of cactus wiz by covering the 90 kilometers from the border. The week of being disconnected is just beginning and the urge to be online is quickly dissipating.
With the phone now tucked securely in my backpack for the week and having survived the rough passage to the Midriff Islands, there was nothing more to do than immerse myself in the magic of the environment. With each passing hour, there would be a feeling of freedom. No need to follow up on a message. No need to read the news. No need to text or post. I would not be disturbed by the ding of an incoming message or ring of a call. Simply sitting on deck between dives, watching the boobies and their antics, scanning the water for sea lions or dolphins and taking in the starkness of the islands with their incredible colors. My withdrawal was complete.
My isolation ended with our crossing back into the United States. With the phone now turned on, I was flooded with incoming emails, text messages, social media posts and voice mails. As we loaded our luggage and entered the van, I found myself with my head down, eyes fixed on my phone. I would not be experiencing the grandeur of the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. I was no longer electronically disconnected from the world but I was now disconnected myself from the environment right in front of me.