by Maria Lianos

Being away for two weeks with limited internet access has been an eye opener.

I didn’t realize how much I relied on the internet for news, interaction, entertainment…almost too much I will honestly admit.

It took me a few days to start relaxing. I felt like an addict coming off a drug. Suffering from internet withdrawal, I was itching to find internet access. When I finally snuck away to a Starbucks in the next town, I sighed with huge relief.

At last, I could check on what was going on in my online world. But I realized, I didn’t miss anything. Why did I think I would miss something so important and crucial, more important than what I was experiencing in the present moment?

It took a few days for me to learn to but finally, I was able to embrace being off-line and sincerely enjoy simple things that I haven’t done in a long time, like:

• Start and actually finish a good book.
• Read trashy magazines.
• Play chess and solitaire.
• Fall asleep in a riding car.
• Go for a walk outdoors.
• Kick around a soccer ball.
• Build a sand castle.
• Watch TV without tweeting.
• Take an afternoon nap.
• Chase seagulls.
• Hang laundry outdoors.
• Swim in the ocean.
• Watch dolphins swim.
• Play hopscotch.

It felt so good to do these things… little things that add to up to make a vacation.  It sounds such a simple concept but for someone who always feels the need to constantly be doing something, it was a good lesson learned. Simply turn off all distractions and focus on just having some fun.

I was thankful for coming to realize this during my vacation and even more thankful were my kids.