They Went On A ‘Gadget Free’ Vacation… & this happened!!!

I still remember as a kid when we used to go for holidays with our parents it involved a long train or a road journey, sometimes as long as 15 hours.  We often stared out of the window, played cards, played antakshari and interacted with the fellow passengers. Is it possible in today’s world? Because now when we plan our holidays they often involve a tablet, mobile phone, laptop and various other gadgets which keep the kids hooked onto them. The boredom syndrome which we have often chases us everywhere and forces us to become a gadget and a toy store!

So the last holiday we took to Singapore, I convinced my family to go gadget free except for one phone which we needed to connect with the people back home. I was apprehensive at first, but when we took off it was a different experience altogether. My son started with his travel diary capturing each and every moment of his journey and experiences; I got more creative by imagining and learning new things and my parents got some lonely time together from their busy schedule.

Without screens to stare into, the communication level increased immediately. “What are we going to do? Where are we going to go? Can we do this? Can we go here?”  Without any gadget my son looked out of the window asking a hundred questions on the things he could see around. The chatter lifted the overall mood and the family connection seemed to grow stronger as we drove. We laughed, we talked and we enjoyed the banter that technology seemed to have removed from our travels.

With gadgets out of the picture we found ourselves enjoying being together. Not just sitting in the same space and mutually looking at screens – talking, laughing, engaging and being a family. Disconnect within a family is bound to happen with busy lives and modern technologies and it was thrilling to see the happiness we could share when being together was the priority. I will say it was one small change but the benefits were huge.

What a holiday! Not only did we survive our tech-free declaration but we came home a happier, healthier and more pleasant family. We enjoyed every bit of the fresh air and experiencing life. Not once was there a wink of dissatisfaction, life was good. Technology is required, but the experience of life without being addicted to it is so much better!

And so, despite our initial apprehension, going on a gadget free vacation, was by far the most memorable and a beautiful experience we have had as a family!

Image courtesy – http://www.freemake.com