Surviving without the internet

I’ve just returned from two weeks leave, which was a first as I’ve never taken more than ten sequential days before, and it was lovely – I would recommend having a good break but getting back in to the swing of work is a little bit harder! However, having no internet access for that length of time was a surprising mixture of withdrawal, panic, frustration but also a feeling of freedom. The first week we spent on my partner’s parents’ boat on the Stratford canal and with no proper electrical sockets I had to conserve the battery of my smartphone for taking photos. The second week residing in a caravan in Cornwall allowed me to plug in everyday but having a signal seems to be something that only exists only in dreams when you’re in the south-west of England, let alone having any 3g connection.

At first I was so tempted to just have a ‘quick look’ at Facebook but the withdrawal only lasted a couple of days and I managed to stay away from emails and social media for the whole two weeks. Being mostly out on our own with only the wildlife for company, the feeling of detachment from the outside world started to become blissful – because I’m never away from a screen during work hours and can always tappy tap on my phone to access emails or the net, it felt like a real break. Nevertheless, when in Cornwall, I wanted to find out what was on at the theatre, check restaurants, see if there was a local horse riding school and check for good walking routes. None of this was possible due to the complete lack of signal and connection but, frustration aside, guess what? I managed to find most of the information the old school way, with flyers, asking people and, of course, just guessing and taking gambles!

I certainly take the web for granted, especially when on the move, but my holiday taught me that maybe I rely on the internet too much. Or is it most people these days as I believe 73% of UK households, or with figures changing all the time it could be more, have internet access now and what about the access many people have at work? Either way, the lesson I’ve learned is to fully appreciate the power of the net and be thankful every single time I get required information in minutes, if not seconds. So I advise you to also take a step back occasionally, it’s very refreshing! Try a personal embargo on the internet and email, perhaps over Christmas week (yes, it’s coming folks) and you’ll recognise the value of the net so much more.

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