Perspective From 36,000 feet

Five tips for decreasing digital device dependence

Flying can both give perspective and be a perfect place to just relax and enjoy. Photo: Rémi Bertogliati, Unsplash.

The better I know the world, the less I need to pack, I philosophize quietly while I’m getting my fewer better things gear ready for my return to California after two plus weeks in foreign land.

When the taxi arrives outside my hotel at 4 am – as pre-ordered – I’ve been up for less than fifteen minutes for a quick shower and to pack the last items, tech devices and chargers that are now all reading 100 percent full.

The taxi drives quickly through a quiet and empty city and arrives at the airport twenty minutes past. It only takes another fifteen minutes for mandatory in-person checkin and security, and I’m seated outside the gate, waiting to board.

The traveling part of traveling, the physical movement from one city to another, has become seamless. A simple roll-top is all I need, packed away either under the seat in front or in the above bulkhead. That’s also how I always can board last.

It’s filled with only the essentials for the dedicated destination and the safe journey to and fro. It’s so light and compact that I forget it’s on my back when I jet off on daytime city layovers or stroll through a city on my way to my new home.