This weekend was, once again, a small personal victory in my quest to keep my weekends cellphone-free. And I must say, it was great.

First, I managed to fix the microwave—I replaced the sticker on the panel where the buttons are (I don't know the exact name, but yes, that sheet of paper you press every day).

The process was surprisingly simple: I watched a video on YouTube, ordered the part online, and, with a little patience, I did it myself. No magic, just time and attention. And perhaps that's what this experiment is teaching me most: that many things we leave unfinished or think are impossible just take a little time.

But the best came next. A Cuban friend, who also lives here, celebrated his birthday. The two families went shopping: the kids playing, the adults drinking a few beers, laughing at life, at everyday things. And in the middle of that conversation, as we spoke, I paused for a moment to look around.

It was impressive: almost 80 or 90% of the people at the tables had their phones in hand. Some were recording videos, others were checking something unimportant, others were just browsing in silence. They were there, physically, but their minds were elsewhere. And I thought: when do we stop being present?

It's not that taking a photo is wrong—I like to save memories too—but there's a fine line between capturing a moment and losing it trying to capture it. We want the perfect photo, the video where the children smile at the exact moment, and in that effort, we forget to experience what's happening. The smell of the food, the laughter, the afternoon breeze—everything escapes us as we try to freeze it on a screen.

I, who didn't realize it before, now notice it with an almost painful clarity. Putting my phone aside, I discovered that the world is still there, more alive than ever. That silences are comfortable when you're truly present, that conversations flow without the need to check notifications, that repairing something with your hands or laughing without thinking about recording it has immense value.

It was an excellent weekend. Productive, yes, but above all, real. Because disconnecting hasn't isolated me from the world; it's brought me back to it.