Screen free

So it’s been raining for at least a week now.  Not just a little mist, like solid downpours for 5 hours a day.  One day I was listening to my music with my phone in my waterproof jacket.  Nothing new here, I’ve done this many times before with no issues.  I put the phone in my side pocket, zip it up tight with just the wire coming out, and then run the wire inside my jacket to my ears.

One day however, the music stopped, literally.  I was so confused, music doesn’t skip anymore, we don’t use CDs.  I knew my battery was still at least half full, so I pulled out my phone to see what happened.  Well, I pulled out a soaking wet, dripping iPhone 4.  Turns out that after 5 hours in pouring rain, the water had run down the headphone wire and into my pocket.  Little by little, the water started to build inside the pocket.  Waterproof jacket, means waterproof pocket. There was at least 2 inches of water in there and my phone had been sitting in it for a long time.  In hindsight, I’m amazing it lasted as long as it did.  Anyway, my phone has been in a bag of rice for 4 days now and doesn’t seem to want to work.  I’m keeping my fingers crossed, because it’s my GPS, my music, my internet, my SMS, my….you get the point.  

Even though it has created some logistical challenges, I am LOVING the freedom!  No phone! That combined with my faulty US to EU electrical adaptor, means I am screen free!! It has been an enlightening time. I just follow the compass on my bike South, and I’ve found I am now talking to more and more people on the road.  Asking for directions means that I’m more open to the people around me.  This has created some wild opportunities to take selfies with Turkish Kebab restaurant owners, talk with older Suisse gentleman about bike touring, and in general just have a great fucking time.  Et voila!