Digital Detox: How We Disconnect Every Summer Without Going Completely Off the Grid

Every June, before our family leaves for Europe, I do something that probably sounds a little extreme. I put my iPhone on airplane mode. Not for the flight. Not for a day or two. For the entire summer. Honestly, it's one of the things I look forward to most every year.

At first, it started out of necessity. We spend a couple of months each summer in North Macedonia and I didn't want to pay outrageous international phone fees. But over time, what began as a practical decision turned into one of the healthiest habits our family has ever adopted.

For a few weeks every year, the constant pressure to answer texts, check emails, and stay available simply fades into the background. And I've realized something surprising: almost nothing is as urgent as it feels.

The Gift of Being Seven Hours Ahead

One of the unexpected benefits of spending our summers in Europe is the time difference.

North Macedonia is seven hours ahead of Illinois, which means that when I wake up and go for a morning run, most of the people back home are still asleep.

I can enjoy my coffee, walk through the village, go to the market, or spend the morning with my girls knowing emails and messages haven't even started.

There's a strange kind of freedom in realizing that the world can keep spinning without your immediate response. It minds me that maybe we weren't meant to be "on" all the time.

The Backup eSIM: The Best of Both Worlds

Now, I'll admit - we don't disappear completely.

Over the years, we've found a simple system that gives us the peace of a digital detox without sacrificing the safety and convenience of having a phone when we actually need one.

Before every trip, I purchase an eSIM plan for our iPhones. It's affordable, easy to install, and gives us local data anywhere we travel in Europe. The beauty of the eSIM, though, is that I don't leave it running all day.

My phone stays on airplane mode almost all the time. If we need directions, want to check a train schedule, need to message a friend, or there's an emergency, I simply turn on the eSIM for a few minutes and then switch it back off.

It's the perfect middle ground. We get the benefits of disconnecting without the anxiety of being completely unreachable.

Why We Use WhatsApp Abroad

One thing Americans often don't realize until they travel overseas is that WhatsApp is essentially the default form of communication across much of Europe.

Need to message your Airbnb host? WhatsApp.

Coordinate dinner with family? WhatsApp.

Ask a local guide a question? WhatsApp.

Since the app works over Wi-Fi or mobile data, it's easy to stay connected without needing an expensive international phone plan. We use our eSIM for those quick check-ins and rely on home wi-fi the rest of the time.

Small Tech Habits That Make a Big Difference

A digital detox doesn't have to mean giving up every modern convenience. We've just learned to use technology a little more intentionally.

Before I leave the house, I download my running playlists on Spotify while connected to Wi-Fi, so I can listen to music without using cellular data. I also start my run on Strava before I leave home. Even without service, it tracks the entire route perfectly, then uploads automatically the next time I'm back on wi-fi.

The same principle applies to maps. If I know we'll be driving somewhere unfamiliar, I'll pull up the directions before we leave or quickly switch on the eSIM if I need it. The goal isn't to reject technology altogether - it's to stop letting it interrupt every moment of the day.

The Summer We Give Our Kids Their Childhood Back

The digital detox isn't just for me.

Our daughters are 10 and 13, and by the time summer arrives, I can see it: the endless pull of screens competing for their attention. They're wonderful kids, but like all kids, they'll default to a screen if it's always available.

So every summer, we make a deal. The iPads stay home. In exchange, I promise them one "big fun thing" when we return to Illinois. This year, it's a trampoline for the backyard. Somehow, knowing that something exciting is waiting for them at the end of the summer makes it easier to leave the devices behind.

Instead, we fill our suitcases with different kinds of entertainment. I let each of them pick out a few new books they've been wanting to read. My youngest daughter packs bags of legos every single year, and over time she's built up an entire summer collection waiting for her in Europe.

And something interesting happens after the first few days.They stop asking for screens. They build. They read. They draw. They help bake bread and desserts with family. They come on walks with us. They occasionally join me for part of a run. We hike, visit little villages, spend afternoons swimming, and linger over dinners that stretch long after sunset.

Most importantly, they get bored. And I mean that in the best possible way. Because boredom leaves room for imagination. It creates space for creativity, curiosity, and the kind of unstructured play that childhood seems to be losing.

A Return to Stillness

I don't think it's a coincidence that my clearest thinking happens during these summers.

Without the constant stream of notifications and the feeling that I need to respond immediately, my mind finally quiets down. I journal more. I read more. I notice things I normally rush past. I have conversations that aren't interrupted by a buzzing phone on the table.

It's also the season when I feel most connected to my faith. There is something about stepping away from the noise - walking through an old village in the early morning, sitting quietly with a cup of coffee, attending church in another language, that creates space to listen a little more closely.

Ironically, it's also when I have my best ideas. The ideas for this blog. The ideas for our family. The ideas that never seem to arrive when I'm multitasking, refreshing my inbox or doomscrolling.

You Don't Have to Move to Europe to Try It

The older I get, the more I believe that wellness isn't found in another app, another productivity hack, or another expensive gadget. Sometimes it's found by simply turning the phone off for a little while.

You don't have to spend your summers in Europe to create your own version of a digital detox. Maybe it's leaving your phone inside while you garden. Maybe it's putting it on airplane mode for a Sunday afternoon. Maybe it's taking a family vacation and deciding that the iPads can stay home.

For us, our little "backup eSIM" system has become the best of both worlds. We have the security of being connected if we truly need it, but we also have permission to unplug, slow down, and be fully present.

Every summer, I come home with the same realization: the world kept spinning, my inbox survived, and the moments I almost missed - the walks, the books, the conversations, the quiet mornings, the creativity - were the ones that mattered most all along.