I feel so lucky to live in a place where the opportunities to get outside and get away are practically infinite. Even with all of the options though, it can still be tough to break out of our normal routine and just unplug. In the last month or two, we have managed to pack up and get out of town a few times- outside for a whole weekend of s’mores, campfires, paddle boarding, late nights, wonderfully chilly mornings, and most importantly, unfettered family and friend time.

I know I’m not alone in the struggle to detach from all of the devices in our lives. As a small business owner, it’s really hard to divide work time from the rest of my time. Every email comes to my phone so I don’t miss anything. I get steady notifications from my social media accounts. My studio calls get rerouted to my cell if I’m not in the office. It’s hard to say “no” and put the phone away even when it’s past typical working hours.

But getting out and away from cell service is just what we all need sometimes! For me, it helps to reinvigorate my commitment to distancing work from home. I love my work and I love my family - but they don’t always have to be totally intertwined (and that means leaving the camera at home sometimes too!)

I’ll admit, I usually still bring my phone with me, but just for catching a couple of fun moments. One of the afternoons though, all of us moms took the afternoon for ourselves for a paddle board adventure - no phones, no kids, no spouses, just some quality time with friends. It was perfect.

Every once in awhile leaving the phone at home (or tuned off) is the best medicine to connect back with the things that matter most - the people and places we love.