The Power of the Unplug

My son had spring break last week, so we packed up our Chinook camper van (an upgrade from our old 13' Scamp!) and set off for Death Valley National Park. Known for being the hottest place on earth in summer—and totally disconnected year-round—it felt like the perfect place for an off-the-grid adventure.

Four full days. No service. No screens. (Okay, we had our phones…but they didn’t work, with the exception of Block Blast, my IN with the 7th graders, ha!). Just desert heat, dusty hikes through canyons, honeycomb salt flats, and sand dunes that looked like another planet. Star Wars was filmed there for a reason.

We’ve done our fair share of travel + off-the-grid trips, but the disconnection always feels a little jarring at first, especially when you’re used to being constantly reachable. But then something shifts. You forget about the news, the to-do’s, the scroll. The stillness sets in. We played bocce ball amidst the boulders. Launched frisbees across the dunes. Had long, meandering, somewhat uninformed debates about whether we were seeing stars or planets at night.

It was the kind of presence that feels increasingly rare in our hustle-heavy days. This is the power of unplugging. Not just to escape, but to return to something more grounded. To create space for clarity, creativity, and connection. The very space I try to help people carve out in their work and lives.

Sometimes the reset we need isn’t about doing more. It’s about stepping away so we can return more fully to ourselves.