No Contact While on Vacation (Is It Normal?)

In this article, I will help you deal with the anxiety of not knowing what a person who is close to you is up to as they have no contact with you while on vacation. I will give reasons why it is nothing to worry about. However, I will also deal with the worrisome aspects of the situation. Along with that, I will help with a list of things you can do to help yourself in this situation. Read on.

Reasons why no contact while on vacation is nothing to worry about

1. They are facing network issues: Network issues can be a handful while traveling. They can face network issues if they travel to remote places. That brings in the stressful no-contact situation.
   • Network issues can occur when someone travels to a remote area with low connectivity. There are places that can totally take you off the grid.
   • In order to establish contact with you, they might have to travel to a distant hilltop or a locality which is not possible for them at the moment.
   • Your anxiety is legit, but so is their situation. You can't expect someone to walk ten miles just to call you and say they are okay.
   • Network issues occur even when you walk into certain buildings or enclosed areas. There are jammers that mess with a phone's connectivity.
   • The point is there are endless possibilities of them being in a soup due to network issues. They will probably contact you once they manage to get out of it.

2. Their phone is malfunctioning: This is another classic problem for the digital age. A malfunctioning phone is worse than most things. It distracts you and enrages you to the extent of a bad meltdown.
   • The no-contact situation might be the result of a malfunctioning phone. It's not their fault. However, you know nothing about it, and that makes your anxiety legit.
   • Their phone could malfunction for a myriad of reasons. One of the most common ones involves water. It's bad news if their phone has fallen into a water body or something. The chances of the phone working are slim.
   • A phone can malfunction if it falls from their hand while traveling. It has probably been damaged to the extent of a no-contact situation. It can be extremely frustrating for them as well as for you.

3. They are traveling solo: Travelling alone requires much concentration and precision. Making and receiving calls frequently is a difficult thing to do in this situation.
   • Your concern is understandable, but traveling solo needs them to be always on alert mode. They need to be aware of everything around them (like Ross's "unagi" in F.R.I.E.N.D.S, which referred to a total sense of awareness).
   • Traveling solo requires one to drive constantly, and it is widely known that speaking on the phone while driving can be dangerous.
   • It's not that they won't contact you. Give them some time to gather themselves, and they will make that call or type that text to let you know they are doing well.

4. They don't want to contact you: The no-contact situation results from not wanting to talk to you. They have embarked on this journey to unwind.
   • They are probably upset over something you did. They wanted to move away from you for a while. What is better than a vacation to rescue them from this situation?
   • This is a situation to get upset about, but it is not the end of the world. They will probably return to you once the vacation is over and they have cooled down.
   • They would not want to contact you because you nag them too much. They called you at the beginning of the vacation, but you irritated them with incessant questions and unwanted advice.

5. Their phone is dead: Well, what can they do if their phone is dead? This situation can have a number of reasons. Your concern is understandable, and so is their plight of carrying around a phone that won't work.
   • They have an old phone, and it's time to stop working arrived right when they were in the middle of a vacation.
   • "Why wouldn't they call from someone else's phone?" ─ would be your question. Well, this vacation might be a solo trip to a secluded place that lacks human beings who can lend them a phone to call you.
   • They could be on a trek where everyone has network issues. No one could help them if they wanted to call you.

6. They have lost their phone: They have lost their phone, or worse, their phone just got stolen. They are already in a lot of agonies right now if this is the case. They need to do all the theft-related formalities before they can remember to inform you.
   • Phones are extremely important to us nowadays. They are an intricate part of our existence. The loss of a phone brings in an immeasurable amount of trouble for the owner.
   • So many things need to be done about a lost or stolen phone. It's absolutely okay if they forgot to give you that routine call. They are probably alone in this mess, and the last thing they want is more stress about formalities in a relationship.
   • A relationship runs on mutual respect and understanding. If that is absent, it loses meaning. They will contact you once they have settled their problem. Till then, have patience. They are not going anywhere.

7. They don't have time to spare: They are running on a tight schedule, even while on vacation. They don't have time to spare. They are probably not going to contact you unnecessarily.
   • Some people go on vacations to relax and unwind. Some people plan vacations to explore. The person we are discussing falls in the second category.
   • They have planned a vacation with a tight schedule, which means they don't have much time to spare. They can't waste time talking to people on the phone. The phone is probably tucked away in their backpack.
   • They have much to explore within a limited set of time. Vacations are not easy to plan. Therefore, they wanted to make the utmost use of it by exploring the nooks and corners of the place they were in.
   • They don't just sit by the beach and sip beer all day long. They pack their backpacks and get going. They have museums to visit and new food to taste. They have to meet new people and hike to the less treaded beaches and hilltops.
   • Contacting you becomes secondary in this situation. Right now, vacation matters a lot more.

8. They are going through a digital detox: They are on vacation just to stay away from phones and other gadgets. They do not wish to be disturbed by the "blessings" of the digital age. They are on a digital detox. Expecting a call from them would end up in disappointment.
   • In this age of social media, people have forgotten to travel for happiness. There is an absurd rush to get the right photo for Instagram or the perfect reel that could garner thousands of views.
   • People no longer watch places with their eyes. They watch it on their phones. Along with that, there is this constant interference from the workplace. The long line of phone calls doesn't let people see the world in the way it was meant to be seen.
   • The person we are talking about is sick and tired of the fast-paced digital life. They have decided to go for a detox. They don't have their phone anywhere near them, and contacting people, including you, is the last thing they want right now.
   • They are probably in a forest or at the top of some mountain, or on a secluded beach. They could be practicing meditation, eating their heart out, or just having fun like Julia Roberts in Eat, Prey, Love.

9. They forgot to call you: They are so engrossed in their vacation that they forgot to call you. It is not an excuse, and you are allowed to be a little annoyed. Your concern is real, and it should be addressed properly.
   • They are probably partying hard, and that's why they forgot to call you to inform their whereabouts.
   • Their vacation can be a source of concern for a person who cares for them when it is a solo one. Forgetting to contact the person who is waiting for a call is the worst thing one can do to freak people out.
   • You have every right to freak out and be angry over this no-contact thing. It was extremely irresponsible on their part when they forgot to call you.

10. They are too tired to call you: Vacations can be tiring, especially the ones with a packed schedule. The no-contact situation exists probably because they are too tired to call you.
    • They have a lot to explore throughout the day, and by the time they can talk to you, they get too tired and probably fall asleep.
    • Their free time doesn't coincide with yours. By the time you return home from work, they fall asleep. They wake up early to start their day full of exploration, which means a repetition of the previous day.
    • Different time zones can be a major reason too. They are not able to contact you because of time zones. Your awake time is their sleep time, and vice-versa. You will probably have to wait till they come back.

Reasons why no contact while on vacation is a matter to worry about

1. They are facing bad weather: Bad weather can be a matter of concern. It can also be the reason why they are not being able to contact you while on vacation.
   • Bad weather can cause incessant torrential rain. They might be stuck somewhere because of it. They might be stuck in a place with network issues.
   • Driving in bad weather requires concentration. They have to keep their phone away to do that.
   • Sometimes, bad weather can get so intense that the situation requires one to flee within seconds. In such a condition, people often have to leave their things (important or not) to move to a safer location.

2. They are driving on bad terrain: Just like bad weather, bad terrain can cause a lot of added problems. One needs to concentrate on the road more than usual, and that includes keeping the phone out of sight for a large part of the day.
   • Bad terrain can result from landslides, especially in the mountains. In certain places, landslides can be fatal.
   • It can make the road excessively narrow, resulting in a constricted space to drive in. Calling you to inform you about their whereabouts is an unreasonable expectation in situations like this.
   • However, your concern is understandable because bad terrain poses a life threat to the person you care about.

3. They have found new friends: They have found new friends. These new friends are fun to be with. They are not thinking of you at this moment. Maybe that's why they have not tried to contact you for so long.
   • Right now, you are out of their mind. They are engrossed in parties and new friends. It's a fun vacation for them.
   • For you, however, this is a nightmare as their sudden absence from your life due to no contact brings negative thoughts to your mind.

4. They have fallen for someone else: This is bad news. They have fallen for someone else while on vacation. It's unfortunate and probably why they have forgotten to contact you.
   • They have fallen for someone else. This would be difficult to digest if you guys were dating before they went on that vacation.
   • It will be painful to know, even when you have a crush on them. Falling in love with someone else will definitely take them away from you.
   • The worst part is that you can do nothing about the situation. You will have to accept this with a heavy heart and move on.

5. They are in danger: They could be in danger. Vacations, especially solo ones to remote places, can cause unwanted difficult situations.
   • What if they are stranded in the middle of a deserted highway without gas for their car? Classic horror movie scenario (think about The Hills Have Eyes), isn't it?
   • They could be stuck in a landslide or any other kind of road accident. There are numerous ways to be in danger.
   • They are not being able to contact you because they can't. They probably need to be rescued.

6. They have fallen sick: They went on this vacation alone, and now they are sick. You are rightfully worried about them. They need help, but the place they are in right now doesn't offer great medical facilities.
   • People fall sick all the time. Hospitals are there to treat them into recovery. However, the person we are talking about might be in soup if they have fallen sick in a remote area where they are vacationing.
   • Places far away from hospitals or with no medical facilities are a bit tricky as anyone can fall sick and suffer horribly due to the lack of basic amenities.
   • They can't contact you because they are sick and in need of help.

7. There is something wrong with their vehicle: They are stuck with a stalled vehicle. A stalled car would mean no space to charge the phone. Hence, the no-contact situation.
   • A stalled car is a burden when you are on a road trip. It's most people's worst nightmare.
   • A stalled car would also mean there is no way to charge the phone. It establishes a no-contact situation.
   • They want to contact you more than anyone because they probably need your help, but that won't happen due to the mess they are in.

8. They are ghosting you: They have found better things in life while on vacation. The no-contact situation would mean one thing ─ they are ghosting you.
   • Ghosting is bad news for you, especially if you were in or wanted to establish a romantic relationship with this person.
   • They want to get out of your life. The vacation is probably a part of that plan. They don't care about your concern for them.
   • They are on this vacation to stay away from you. They no longer enjoy your company. This solo vacation has therefore been planned to keep you at bay. They want to spend time alone or with other people, they find interesting.

9. They are planning to stay there for a long time: They have planned to stay there for a long time (think more than six months). Staying away from you for such a long time would mean that they are not that into you, and that's bad news.
   • You can't stay without them, but they can. They don't need you in their life to be happy. It's unfortunate, but you come way later on their priority list.
   • You are concerned, but that means nothing to them. They probably won't contact you unless they want to.

What to do when you are unable to contact a loved one while they are on vacation?

1. Stop overthinking: Don't overthink. It will only complicate things. Try to stay calm and think about ways to deal with the stressful situation of not knowing where they are. They will contact you if they are not in immediate danger.
   
2. Stop calling them repeatedly: Nobody likes nagging. Stop calling them repeatedly. They have embarked on this vacation to unwind their mind. Your incessant calls might disturb them. If you know where they are going, it's best to refrain from calling. If you are not aware of their whereabouts, you can call them once to know that.
   
3. Don't say or do anything stupid: Your anger over the no-contact situation is understandable. It's okay to be worried about them. However, don't say or do anything stupid in a fit of rage. That can affect the relationship.
   
4. Talk to their friends: Their friends might know their whereabouts. Ask them to find out more about the guy we are talking about. They must have shared something with their friends. Try to find that out.
   
5. Ask them if they are upset with you: Directly ask them if they are upset with you. Getting a straight answer to this question might be difficult. Your question will be met with sarcastic answers and snide remarks. But don't get demotivated by that.
   
6. Check if they are in danger: They might be in danger. If you can't contact them for a considerable amount of time, check with the local authorities of the place they were last seen in.
   
7. Check their activity on social media: Social media reveals a great deal about people. Check their social media activity to learn more about their whereabouts. They might not contact you for various reasons, but they would never ignore their social media unless they are on a digital detox.
   
8. Check the news: This can only bring in bad news. Check the news for unusual incidents or natural calamities around the place they were last seen in.
   
9. Check the map to learn more about the route: If you know where they are going, check the map to learn more about the place. That way, you will know they are safe even when there is no contact.
   
10. Text them: Drop a text and see if they reply. The text shouldn't be a nagging one. It has to be short and precise. You can say, "Hey. How are you doing? Just wanted to know where you are these days. I got a bit concerned. Call me or reply when you are free."

Tips

Here are a few things to think about:

• They can't call you if they are too tired and you guys are in different time zones. They can drop a text. If they can't do that, I think it's time to reconsider whatever relationship you have with them.
• Don't bother them when they are trying to unwind. They have gone on vacation to take a break from the mundane life they have in the city.
• If they ghost you or ignore you in any way, give the same behavior back to them. That will be a great lesson for them.