I have a confession to make. I didn't make it to the AT&T store yesterday at lunch like I had planned. I actually managed to convince myself that I had a few more days, and if I had a few more days, why not go for a run during the afternoon so I could use Runkeeper one last time. So alas, I went to bed one more time with the iPhone safely plugged in at my bedside.

But, today at exactly high noon, I walked into the AT&T store at Potomac Yards, a good friend at my side (for moral support) and returned my iPhone 3GS. Yes, I felt nauseous, I won't lie. And yes, I probably second-guessed myself about 4-5 times on the drive over to the store, but I'm doing this for YOU everyone... just to see what life is like WITHOUT a smartphone.

Back to the story... Now, I'm not sure if this store is any different from other AT&T stores that you've been in, but I would have to say that based on the sales staff on hand, they could have handled the release of the new iPhone without any issues. That is to say, there were about 15 sales staff milling about, and only 3 customers in the store. This has been the case EVERY time I go into the store. Yet, when I drop in on a weekend, there are maybe 5 sales members and 20+ customers. Go figure.

Anyway, the return process was pretty straightforward and quick. No questions asked about why I was returning the phone or if I had any interest in a different phone. In fact, there was really no question about what I was planning on using now that I was returning the phone. Instead, it was, "here is your SIM card, your upgrade credit has been returned to your account, have a great weekend." So, I walked out of the store feeling a little lighter, and no phone at all in my possession.

So, here I sit, about an hour away from my first weekend without a smartphone, and already I've reached for a phone I do not have to check my calendar to see what our family's plans were for the evening. I imagine this is just the calm before the storm, and I will update you on Monday on how the weekend goes. But I will tell you right now, from a logistical standpoint, not having a phone at all has already created a myriad of problems, especially since my family falls into the "cord cutters" category. Mom, can you send me an email if you want to talk please? Or, figure out how to use AIM? God forbid we're friends on Facebook... Have a great weekend everyone.