We spent three weeks in Norway for the holidays and I decided to use that time to do a little experiment of sorts. I wanted to see how I would fare being somewhat “unplugged.”

What often strikes me about Norway is how close knit everyone seems. Relationships with friends grow deeper, faster. Families talk more. There’s more “down” time. Through my American lense they seem to have a definite line between work and life, whereas here your work is your life.

With smartphones, iPads and other iDevices, our work duties are always at our fingertips, sapping away our attention from each other and ourselves.

I do it too. I’m often on my phone, checking Twitter, Facebook, reading blogs, news, and sometimes just plain junk. When I was working for the AP, I felt the need to stay on top of my inbox, which seemed to grow like a ‘roided up weed if I didn’t.

While in Bermuda, I didn’t switch my calling plan to an international one, thus turning my phone into a totable clock. I noticed it was like an unexpected break. That’s why in getting ready to go to Norway, I decided to leave my phone at home.

This was a big deal because my phone is like an 11^th digit. I’ve always got it on me, Logan hates it when I’m on my phone, so I try to keep it in my back pocket and steal glances at it when he’s otherwise occupied. I took a step back and looked at my phone habits, wondering what is it that I think I’ll miss by not checking my phone?

Did my friend have another fabulous four-course meal with her husband at a new trendy restaurant? Did someone go from “in a relationship” to “it’s complicated?” What’s the latest pithy tweet from @shoq?

None of that is noise is essential. So while we flew across the pond to charge our batteries, my phone stayed in America doing the same.

It was a little awkward at first. There were times where everyone around me was checking their mobile device and I was just sitting there, kind of observing life IRL instead of through the filter of technology.

It also felt good to be fully engaged. While waiting to board the plane my attention wasn’t divided between my phone and making sure no one kidnapped my children. I was solely focused on them.

Hubby and I went out to dinner one night, and there was no phone sitting on the table. We talked without a chirp or “silent” buzz. When Christmas came, my phone wasn’t going bonkers with all of the Happy Xmas! Texts. Nor the HNY! On New Year’s. I received my seasons greetings the old fashioned way: I heard them face-to-face.

Then there were small things, like when getting ready to leave the house, I never had to search around to make sure I had my phone. Admittedly though, I had to keep asking Hubby what time it was. (I should have brought my watch.)

Though I did catch up on my e-mail, Twitter and Facebook on the computer some evenings, I didn’t spend a lot of time plugged into technology. I plugged into the people in front of me.

The only thing that I missed, and for me this was a big deal. It was that my niece went from “single” to “in a relationship” and I found out three days later when we talked. It wasn’t her first boyfriend or anything, but we’re very close in that we talk, text, tweet and FB each other all the time. She told me: “It was killing me that I couldn’t talk to you!!!”

I get it and I agree. But for three weeks, that was the only thing that I “missed.” Now that I’m back in the hustlin’ bustlin’ U.S. of A., I’m away from my phone much more and doing a better job of enjoying life in real life.