Going Without

Recently the hubby and I switched internet providers. The new service company promotes 'zero downtime,' but we were disconnected for three days. 

That may not seem like a lot of time to be without the internet but it felt extremely long.

At first I was overly frustrated but quickly started to see (some) benefits. 

Sometimes J and I work from home and sometimes we work in a studio. As it turned out, on those days I was without internet, we were (mostly) working from home. So, if I wanted 'The Net' I had to *gasp* go out into the world. Turns out, the chat with the baristas ended up bringing a welcome human interaction to my day. 

In the evenings, the hubby and I enjoyed some extremely deep conversations uninterrupted by our devices.

I was texting / calling people more often and / or meeting in person - again, a more human experience than pressing 'like' on something.

I played with my kittens more, for longer, and was less distracted.

When I did stay in to write, it was easier to focus. Harder to research but easier to focus.

I even pre-wrote this blog post with a pen and paper, two things that never need internet (or even electricity).

This stuff was good but boy was I elated when we were reconnected. It's amazing how going without, even for a little while, leads to more gratitude. 

From this experience, similar to J's Tech-Free Week, I've pulled some stuff to do more often. The main one is turning off the 'Wi-Fi' when I'm creative-writing on the laptop. It seems like a good move and a way for me to take something from this experience. 

~M

*M, I can totally relate. I enjoy my tech-free time immensely. Living over a coffee shop, I often go downstairs for my caffeine fix just for the human interaction and for the pleasure of getting a little fresh air. - J