By Maelyn Schramm, TrizCom PR Intern

A couple of weekends ago, I went on a ladies-only camping trip with two of my closest friends. We hit the highway and headed east to Martin Creek Lake State Park. Once we unloaded the car and set up the tent, I did something I almost never do: I turned off my phone. Not on mute. Off. Over the next 24 hours, we hiked on a few paths, lounged on a picnic blanket, made a fire, ate tacos and watched the sun go down. All the while, we did what we ladies are known for: talking. We talked and talked and talked. During our conversations, I was completely engaged and joined in on laughing and making witty remarks. I didn’t want it to end.

My phone-free weekend was rejuvenating. I felt refreshed once I put the world on hold. It rid me of distractions and allowed me to focus on the present moments I lived in. Phubbing, a fusion of “phone” and “snubbing,” is when one person is distracted by their smartphone in another person’s presence. I think we all do it from time to time, if not on a regular basis. Sometimes I’ll be in the middle of one of my ramblings, look up, and my friend is scrolling through her news feed. Other times, I’m the one at fault.

A new phrase is catching on among us millennials: hang up and hang out. We can forget what we miss out on when we’re absorbed in what’s happening on our phones. We miss out on hearing a funny story, sharing a heartfelt moment, making a connection. We miss out on quality time with people we love. When we hang up, we hear and listen, we look and see, we talk and speak. When we hang up, we say, “I’m here in this moment with you.”