For the past 30 days I have sacrificed. I was bored while waiting in line. Taking public transportation was unpredictably risky. And I was always the least connected person sitting around the dinner table. For the last month I survived without a smartphone.

People who know me, know that I have owned a lot of phones. Due to an exclusive relationship with Sprint I get to upgrade my phone a lot. Over the past couple of years I have had a Palm Pre, a Windows Phone, a handful of Android handsets, and even a BlackBerry or two. I keep all of my phones in immaculate condition, and sell or give them away when I am done reviewing. I wouldn’t say my experience with any of these phones has been better than my time with an iPhone. Each of the phones I have tried is different, and change has kept me interested.

During my time with Sprint I have had only one phone you couldn’t call smart. The LG Lotus is my go between phone that I use for basic calling and texting while I am expecting my next handset to be delivered. But last month before leaving on vacation I decided to return the fancy Android I had just received and headed up to the White Mountains with the Lotus as my only means to stay in touch.

The Lotus is a small black square flip phone with a surprisingly good QWERTY keyboard hidden inside. I wouldn’t call it Motorola DynaTAC dumb, but it lacks a usable web browser and any sort of meaningful app store. What it does do, it does well. Phone calls made on the Lotus are loud and clear. Text messages come across as conversations and can be typed swiftly using the built-in keyboard. It has a simple calculator for tips, a scratchpad for notes, and a calendar for dates. Entries in the address book have to be entered manually. Can you remember the last time you did that for all of your contacts?

The Lotus is unique because you can use it without or without a data plan. Compared to modern smartphones there is not much the data plan gives you, but you can check email or Twitter in a pinch using the downloadable Opera Mini browser. The Lotus has no wifi to speak of, but Bluetooth can be used to connect to external headsets. USB tethering can be used for transporting pictures from the Lotus’ 2MP camera, or tethering with a computer for a cellular modem connection. Listening to music on the Lotus is impossible unless you are packing 2.5mm headphones, or enjoy holding your phone against your head while you dance down the street. The Java based music player is awful anyway, you wouldn’t want to use it.

The reason I was successful using my Lotus for the last month is because I require very little from my phone. During a normal work week my home and office are only a ten minute walk apart, and during that time I can manage without an ever present internet connection. In fact what I value most in a cell phone is the ability to make clear phone calls, send reliable text messages, and occasionally contribute to Twitter while on the go. The Lotus lets me do all three.

Before leaving on vacation I visited the Twitter webpage and setup my Lotus for SMS messaging notifications. I picked friends I would like to receive updates from, and how I would prefer to be notified of replies, and direct messages. Twitter even has an option for turning off SMS notifications at night. During my trip to the White Mountains I tweeted my adventures without automatic replies, retweets, conversations, or pictures. Unable to follow links, I would like to think I used Twitter in its most purest form, sending and receiving 140 character messages.

When you travel without a smartphone or a data plan everything becomes more clear. You are no longer distracted by whats in your pocket, and you are more likely to appreciate the people you are with and the world around you. After this month I will continue to leave my smartphone at home for the same reasons I leave my laptop at home while writing on my Newton. Less distractions gets more meaningful work done.