No Place Left Unplugged
We forgot the most important life lesson back in the 20th century
An offline beach isn’t unique. But in a world that sometimes provides internet more easily than drinkable water, it’s getting rarer. This July I spent a week going every morning to such paradise, Calblanque Beach, in southern Spain — sun, sand, wind, waves, and most importantly: few people and no internet access. Seven days sufficed to restore part of the sanity I lose at work; news of AI tools that promise much but contribute little to make this place better occupies my mental bandwidth. Freeing my mind felt good.
I was swiftly reunited with a forgotten past of refreshing disconnection. Back in Madrid, I’m used to leaving my phone out of sight while I write. It works surprisingly well considering I can extend my arm anytime and reach for it. But Calblanque Beach is special — it turns my beloved phone into a weirdly polished, mostly useless metal slab. I can reach it but I don’t. My arm doesn’t even pretend to care. The dopaminergic hook fades and the landscape’s colors intensify.
Am I doing rosy retrospection again? Whatever, it was warranted this time: One night, amid all that tranquility, I went to dine at Cabo de Palos, a nearby port village, and took a picture.
