June 2, 2016

Before I left for France I had decided not to purchase an international cell phone plan and to just live off of the free wifi when available.  I never thought of myself as the kind of person who has her phone attached to her hand permanently so I really didn’t think it would be a problem.

When I arrived in Lille I couldn’t have been more excited to explore the city and meet new people.  As the day progressed and the jet lag really set in I started to panic thinking that this trip would not go as well as planned.

I was in the Brussels airport waiting for the shuttle and had no way to communicate with anyone at home.  All I wanted to do was text my parents and let them know that I had landed safe and sound and, it being my first time abroad, my anxiety started to climb.

Once I finally arrived at my apartment, I was sad to realize that there was no wifi available in my apartment either.  At this point, I was becoming nervous that I would not be able to contact anyone for the entire time I was abroad.  After what seemed like forever I was told that there was wifi available in the lobby of the apartment building.  Glad that I had finally found a way to contact my friends and family, things started looking a lot better.

I developed a system where I only get on my phone once in the morning and once in the evening.  It took some getting used to, not talking to my family or friends all day, but I have come to realize that it is a blessing not having wifi and not being able to be on my phone.  I am forced to truly interact and bond with the other students who came abroad with me and because of this I am realizing that there is so much more time in the day to spend exploring and having fun.

I am very glad and thankful that I can experience as much as I can and not have my eyes glued to my phone screen.  The fact that there is no service has actually inspired me to make better friends and explore/get lost in the city.  I’m even more excited for this month ahead.