I hate flying. The thought of being several thousand feet in the air sitting with a bunch of strangers in uncomfortable chairs for a couple of hours just doesn’t appeal to me.

Not to mention my constant paranoia that a catastrophic, one-in-a-million accident will plague the flight, bringing the plane down – and me with it.

I also worry about my checked luggage being thrown on a plane to New York when I’m jumping on a plane to California. I just don’t have enough money to replace all of the shoes I would lose because of my inability to pack light.

Airports are full of overpriced food, useless knickknacks and dirty bathrooms. And don’t even get me started on layovers.

I don’t understand people who fight the roar of the engines to strike up extended conversations about cell phones and the weather while they steal your armrest and cough in your personal space.

However, as much as I hate the overall experience of traveling by plane, I do love one thing about it: turning off my mobile phone.

I realized this during my most recent airplane adventure on a two-hour flight to Las Vegas.

As I boarded the plane I sent a quick work e-mail, returned a few text messages and reluctantly proceeded to turn off my blackberry – or as my roommates call it, my ‘crack’berry. I quickly realized that what I always considered just another airplane annoyance had transformed into an airplane advantage. For at least two hours I knew I wouldn’t be responsible for returning an e-mail, replying to a text or answering any calls. I was unable to update my Twitter, change my Facebook status or check any recent news headlines. I suddenly felt free.

I pumped Coldplay through my headphones and opened a book. A real book. A book I was not required to read for a class. A book I found in a bookstore that seemed interesting, but one I hadn’t found time to read. And I read. For two hours – only interrupted when the flight attendant offered me a free soda, which only enhanced the relaxation I had recently discovered.

Not only did this technique keep me occupied, it also lessened my airplane anxiety. For the first time in a long time, I didn’t miss my mobile phone or the Internet – I actually preferred it. And I realized that it’s OK, perhaps even essential, to disconnect every once in a while.