Days without cell phone (no more counting): 49.

I had to look back and see when I said goodbye to constant connectivity via my not-so-trusty Sprint powered Motorola Q. And although I spent a good while denouncing the novelty of text messaging in the early 2000's (can I say that yet?), it was tough to get used to the silence. Or, maybe more appropriately the empty time with which I felt compelled to fill. God forbid I sit still in body or mind.

I'll give myself a little pat on the back for surviving without the influx and outpouring of SMS love notes and witty (if I do say so myself) messages. It is possible, however, that my facebook usage has recently been on the rise. Stop judging me. I'm on the cusp of the millennial/Gen X divide and I'll excuse it as a deeper exploration of my younger self. And admit out loud that I love that being across a gigantic ocean feels a little less further away with the often damned social networking tool.

Going without a cell phone has been interesting here. My argument against getting one was that I really didn't have anyone that needed to be in touch with me with any urgency in Portugal and therefore e-mail seemed to suffice. The flip side of that coin: Name one person you know with a respectable social life that depends solely on e-mail communication. Exactly my point. That and it seemed to bother people that they couldn't text me. I'll have to look into the history a bit more, but I'd say Europe is a good 10 years ahead of the US on the SMS adoption curve. In fact, I wonder if some of the social behaviors with cell phone use in general here will be coming soon to a grocery line near you.

It's a magnificent thing, really. People are not everywhere doing everything while shouting to someone on the other end of their mobile phone. I've asked around a bit and some have said that they've just realized this trend in the past few years. So maybe there is a chance to ride the El in peace. (A part of me is sad at the idea of not being able to "be listening to my ipod" but really eavesdropping on some train wreck of a conversation.)

It was time to break down and get one and it was far less painful than expected. Contract? What contract? Let me just get that phone and open the box. Put in that little SIM card, the battery and there you are. 29,90€ later I was heading to the (free) ATM machine to pre-pay my cell phone account and was ready to go. I was prepared with a ream of supporting documentation for the ordeal: Passport, proof of residence, driver's license, bank card, contract from the University, visa, etc.

Have I been cheated out of the American cell phone experience? Guess I'll have to chalk it up to things I miss about the home land. And yes, I have recently admitted that I might just eat a charcoal briquette about now. Summertime without the multi-sensory experience of BBQ'ing seems somehow artificial. And I miss CVS, preferably DC-style. I'm not sure there's anything like the you-can-count-on-it terrible service and horrifically long line that a DC CVS can give a girl who just needs ketchup, a hairbrush, pantyhose a york peppermint patty and a pint of ben & jerry's.

Blogging comes with ease when I have a deadline to procrastinate about. Go figure.