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Hi Reader,

Last Saturday, I found myself running out the door in a hurry.

I had to get to my IELTS test on time. (No, it's not a contagious disease, don't worry 😅 It's one of the official English language tests you can take to sort out documents. In my case, for my Canadian Post Graduate Work Permit.)

Once I was on the road, I did what I usually do when I'm driving: I reached for my phone to call my mom.

Except… my phone wasn't there.

It was still at home 🙃

There was no time to turn back. So I convinced myself I could survive this. Everything I needed was printed. I knew where I had to go.

What could possibly go wrong?

Well, first: the main door of the exam office was closed. With a friendly little sign asking visitors to call the number listed.

Ha. I had to flag down a stranger and ask if they could call for me. The look on their face said everything I needed to know 🤣

Loser was probably the kindest interpretation.

But hey, I got in!

Once inside, I was seated in the waiting room. And of course, everyone was on their phone. I felt a little left out, but hey, free chance to recharge my people-watching battery 👀

Then came the moment where everyone had to hand in all their devices before the exam. Smartwatches, phones, everything.

Suddenly no one had a phone.

And you know what happened?

I initiated conversations, but soon everyone started talking. Can you imagine real conversations with strangers in a waiting room in 2026? I know 😅 I'm sure a couple of people stepped out of their comfort zone!

The first part of the exam went well. There was a break before the speaking portion. Normally, I would have used those minutes to call my husband. Give him a quick update. Share my nerves and my hopes. Well, this had to wait. And I was sure he had seen my phone, feeling lonely by now at home. So instead I went for a walk.

Luckily I had my bank card on me, so I managed to get myself a coffee ☕

The speaking part of the test also went really well, another box ticked! I wasn't able to scan the QR code to leave a review on my way out for obvious reasons, and I had to postpone sharing the good news to the home front.

But, on my way home, I realized something: we really can survive without our phones. Even better than I anticipated.

Yes, there was a moment of panic when I first realized I had left it behind, and yes, I missed being able to check in with the people I love.

I'm not saying I'll be leaving my phone at home every Saturday. (Let's not get carried away 😅)

But it did remind me…

We've outsourced a lot to that little device.

Some of it is useful, but some of it, maybe not.

And maybe every once in a while, it's worth leaving it on the counter on purpose.

Chat next week,
Peggy 🌿

P.S. When was the last time you left your phone at home… on purpose? What did you discover in its absence?

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