@Brandi *******
go to their website and they'll explain the details. But basically once you cancel your US cellular plan, you transfer your phone number over to them and they "park" it. Meaning that your number is in your control and no one else can acquire it. You can't use it to make calls, but Number Barn will forward any texts you get on the number to your email account. Once you come back to the US and want to use it again, you sign up for a US cellular plan and have your number transferred to you new plan. It's nice to have your old number back and begin to use iMessage again.