Places to stay
Raven: Three Days Without My Phone
On a lake in northern Dalarna, I switched off my phone for three days. I slept better, finished conversations and watched the water. When it was time to reconnect, I was in no hurry.
By Lina Skandevall
Published
Three days without a phone. It is hardly a lifetime, but it was long enough to show me how much room mine usually takes up.
I had been talking about travel trends at Arctic Sweden in Norrbotten: nature, local people, quiet, sleep and recovery. All the things we say we want more of. Turning the phone off completely seemed a good place to start.
So I tried it with Lina, who runs No Connection in Älvdalen, in northern Dalarna. My setting was Raven, a floating cabin on Lake Navardalen, with forest around the water and a bed right at the lake-facing end. A very good place to let the rest of the world wait.
The book won
What surprised me first was how little I missed my phone. I felt relieved. I had wondered whether I would find myself wanting it all the time, but I didn't.
There was one moment. I was lying on the bed, listening to the rain against the window, and felt the familiar urge to scroll. Nothing in particular I needed to see. Just something to do while doing nothing.
I picked up a book instead.
That small moment stayed with me. I hadn't needed the phone. I had simply reached for a habit.
A conversation, all the way through
The conversations were the most fascinating part. Without a screen competing for our attention, we finished what we were saying. One thought could lead to another. We learned more about each other.
It sounds so ordinary written down. But how often do we really give a conversation that much space?
I wasn't worrying about the news or my inbox. Work, messages and everything else could wait. There was time to talk, and time to notice how much I enjoyed it.
Sleeping by the water
I slept better. Having no phone beside the bed made me feel wonderfully calm. There was nothing to check before closing my eyes, and I loved falling asleep and waking up here, with the water so close.
During the day, I watched its movements and the shapes of the clouds. I felt happy. The stress began to drain away.
Raven has plenty to look at, too: glass around the lake-facing room, a wood-burning stove and a sauna upstairs. But what I remember most is having the time to take it all in. I didn't need to fill every pause.
No rush to switch it back on
When I got my phone back, I didn't even want to turn it on. I wanted to leave the emails, messages and news a little longer.
That was perhaps the best measure of the stay. Three days earlier, switching off had been something to try. By the end, I wanted more of it.
I would happily do this again. Preferably here, on the lake in Älvdalen, with No Connection. A book within reach. The world can wait a little longer.
Stay at Raven
Where: Lake Navardalen, near Älvdalen in northern Dalarna, Sweden.
The stay: A floating cabin for two, with a double bed in a glass-enclosed bedroom.
Good to know: Private rooftop sauna, wood-burning stove, a small outdoor kitchen and a rowing boat. The outdoor shower has cold water; solar power supplies a few lights.
For current packages, availability and reservations, visit Raven at No Connection.
