Analog Adventures

Naked and afraid in California

Scouting Jade Cove. (photo: Kristi Anderson)

Stripping off my wetsuit on the shoulder of Highway 1, I was warmed by the California sun and the satisfaction of having had a proper adventure, freediving in the Pacific to look for jade. I tossed my wet gear in the back of my rental SUV and reached up to close the tailgate when I heard a sickening crunch. I knew immediately what it was: my iPhone. It had slid down the roof of the vehicle, where I set it, and was caught in the gap of the tailgate hinge. The screen was spiderwebbed, with small chips of Gorilla glass sprinkling out. Sometimes phones work with a cracked screen. Not mine. It was mortally wounded. After about a minute unleashing some unholy oaths to no one in particular, I came to a resigned acceptance that the rest of this California trip would be largely free of digital distractions.