

Shuyi Jin

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No Phone, No Problem
My First-Year Trip was a wonderful experience that gave me some close friends and some great memories. I can go on and on about going electrofishing, bonding through pranks, or taking a freezing dip in the river. Instead of talking about all those amazing adventures (which you'll just have to experience for yourself), what I'm going to talk about instead is how I survived four whole days without my phone, or any form of communication with the outside world.
Preparing for my trip, I collected a list of essential items, from sleeping bags to non-cotton clothing. My hardest decision, however, was not what to bring, but rather what I should do with my Snapchat streaks. Eventually, I made the decision to let them go. New school, new me, right? I told my friends that I would be gone for a few days and left my phone behind as I took a bus up to the Second College Grant with my trippees and trip leaders. I was prepared to miss my phone and social media, but as my trip began, I discovered all the perks of life without phones.
After we got off the bus, we had to take a quick hike to get to our cabin. We played silly bonding games on our way, games which I would have probably not participated in if I had my phone to distract me. With no texts or social medias to browse, I spent almost all of the day getting to know my trippees and trip leaders better, as we joked around and talked about our lives.
Back on campus, it always brings a smile to my face when I see one of my trippees or trip leaders. I get the feeling of seeing an old friend, and it's always cool to see what everyone's up to. We remain a close group, and even all reunited last week to have dinner (as many trips do). My adventure into the outdoors with some of the nicest people I have met introduced me to Dartmouth, and I haven't looked back since!
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