In an unfortunate, and maybe miraculous, turn of events, I have recently been suffering from the loss of my iPhone while abroad. As I was visiting the Temple of Poseidon, Poseidon decided to claim my phone. Initially, my first thoughts were of the photos now lost to the abyss, and the shear feeling of loss as my phone suffered its watery death. Here though, I realized something. Have I truly been experiencing these beautiful landscapes with my eyes and mind, or simply through the screen and lens of my phone? Don’t get me wrong, there is something to be said for the magic of photography, especially for those later moments in life where the memories of these travels won’t seem so fresh. But am I truly experiencing anything when I am spending the whole time worried about capturing the best, most Instagram worthy photo rather than taking the time to gaze and absorb the beauty in front of me? Being in Greece where I am surrounded constantly by the beauties of the Mediterranean and the histories of ancient cultures, I am subject to some of the most striking visuals I could ever expect to see in my life. This loss, although a tad inconvenient, has taught me that this journey I am on needs to be truly experienced, not just viewed as a story I can revisit on my timeline when convenient. Although I am waiting on another phone in the mail, I can say that these few weeks without one has taught me the different between just viewing a place versus truly experiencing a place. This moment in my life is too short and won’t last, and I intend to now spend more time focusing on the experience and the feelings it provides me, rather than the collection of these memories in physical, or digital, form.
